Karin: Enter the D'Amphile
by paladin313
Summary: Life goes on as normal, or as normal as could be expected, when a western stranger enters town, and the school, and a new danger emerges at the same time. Is he the danger? Is he the answer? Karin and co. must find out before disaster can strike.
1. Chapter 1

Karin: Enter the D'amphile

Prologue

They rushed through the woods, he and her mother. It was late at night, and the woods were thick. However, when most would be chewed up by the branches of the woods, where the darkness would be so thick that you could not see them, they were seemingly making their way through as if there were nothing there. "Hurry, Jean-Claude, they're right behind us!"

"Momma," he said, "We just need to fight! Daddy would have! I can fight—you know I can!"

"No time to explain, boy!" she snapped, "There's too many!"

They had no idea where they were going, and Jean-Claude wondered if there would have been any way of finding out. Would they even be given the chance? Suddenly, she stopped, and turned one way and then the other. "They're all around us! Oh God, what do we do?"

She scanned the perimeter, looking intently, and then said, "Jean-Claude, go that way!"

She pulled him close and said, "Now you listen to me: run fast and don't look back! Do you hear me!"

"Momma, I won't leave you!" he protested.

"This is not open for discussion!" she thundered, and glared at him in a fashion that he knew would get his attention. She then said, "Remember: I love you. Don't you ever forget that. Don't you ever forget to love people, take each person for who they are, not what they are. Love the individual."

"I think they went this way," said a voice in the distance, "I can faintly see their auras!"

"Now go!" she said, and shoved him along his way. He quickly hugged her, she kissed him, and he then ran as fast as his ten year old legs could carry him. He was not as able to negotiate the woods as his mother, so his going was slow, but he made his way. However, his keen hearing could detect what was going on behind him. "Where are you going, missy?" said one voice.

"You'll learn for bringing him into our world!" said another.

"The boy isn't with her, I can't find him!" said a third.

"You four: fan out and see if you can find him!" said the second voice, which then turned gruff, and said, "We'll take care of her!"

Jean-Claude knew what that meant, but he remembered what his mother said: don't look back. He then heard, "Prepare for Hell, traitor!" and heard that followed by a scream, which was then stifled. He stopped dead in his tracks. He began to tear up, but then remembered that his father would have never tolerated his weakness, and tore off again. He heard distantly behind him, "You can run, boy, but you can't hide."

Panic was now setting in, and he began to run with abandon. That was his undoing, as he hit a solid limb and collapsed to the ground. As he tried to regain his faculties, they were upon him. They had him cornered against the tree which held the limb that stopped him. "You abomination!" said the lead man, "Prepare for Hell, half-breed!"

The man raised a healthy piece of steel, and prepared to thrust it home…

The ringing of the paging system of the plane woke him up, informing him that they were soon to hit some turbulence, and that he needed to buckle up. It was that nightmare again. He was bathed in sweat, and was relieved the nightmare was over again. He looked out the window, and saw that it was still dark. He flagged down a stewardess and asked her, "How much longer to Japan?"

"About six more hours, sir," she said, and then she saw his uneasiness. "Would you like me to get you something? You don't look well."

"Thanks, but I'm okay," he said as he smiled, "It was just a bad dream, nothing more."

"Okay," she said, "I hope you sleep better."

He thanked her, and she went her way. Yet, he wondered if he would get back to sleep at all.

At the precise moment he was having this nightmare, someone else was experiencing the same dream. Just before the sword thrust forward, she was up, screaming in fear. "Karin, Karin!" said her father's voice as he burst up the stairs, her mother in tow, "What's wrong? What's the matter?"

She was crying her eyes out. "Oh what a horrible dream, papa!" she sobbed, and her mother said, "Oh please! Is that all it was?"

However, Henry seemed to be more sympathetic to the situation, and held her close as she relayed the dream. From the description, both of her parents then realized how bad a dream that must have been. "Oh, that poor boy," she sobbed, "Oh that poor boy!"

"It was just a dream," said Henry, "There's no boy, no hunters, no woods, just us. It's okay."

Yet, he had to wonder just how deep and visual a dream that must have been. He also wondered what it meant. Did she reach out to another of their kind unknowingly, and link minds with them? Did she even have that power, being what she was? Henry saw her face as red, and said, "Do you need a draw-off?"

She did not answer, because it was obvious what the answer was, and he began to prepare the draw. Calera was now beginning to wonder just what had happened. Only people who were unhappy could cause her blood to rise like that, and this was only a dream. What _had_ happened? Henry was able to draw about four pints, and was at least grateful that something good came out of this. The council would welcome the addition of these pints. It was at this time that the youngest walked in and said, "I just had the worst dream."

Now they knew something was up. They only guess they had was that one of their kind had the dream, and it was so bad that he let out a primal scream loud enough for one to detect it if their subconscious minds were opened, as their daughters were. Was someone coming? What kind of an omen was this?

Chapter I

It had been a brisk day at work, and both Karin and Kenta were exhausted. It seemed odd to think that the start of school in a few days would be an actual relief. Kenta's situation had indeed improved since his mother started working at Julian's, and was able to hold the job. They had two solid incomes now, and they were considering moving up to a bigger apartment in the complex. In the meantime, with all their problems worked out, and Karin now feeling that she was no longer an outcast to her kind, she felt freer than she had ever felt before. It was even better when you had a boy that deeply loved you and more so when you knew that he was accepted by your family, and your kind. She knew that, with allies like Kenta Usi, Wiener and Victor Sinclair, and her good friend Maki, vampires in this city were safe from persecution. They knew that these people would protect them, and deflect unwanted intrusions. It was only the misunderstanding of humans that were too scared of you or too scared of legends and lies, that kept full mixing of the two worlds from happening to the benefit of both. She hoped that, one day, this could be. The marriage that she was sure to happen between her and Kenta one day, though it would have to be secret for a while, was bound to happen. They knew that it would one day become allowed to be public.

As they walked down the street, they began to talk about how fun the summer break had been, and about their upcoming junior year. Kenta began to chuckle a bit. "What's so funny?" asked Karin.

Kenta took her hand, and said, "It's funny—the irony of the whole thing!"

Karin tilted her head, with a slightly curious look on her face. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, the way things are right now," he said, "One thing that the two of us have desired is some sense of normalcy—you know, the ordinary—and have never got it, and now, look at us."

She began to take a look on her face that seemed to show that she was getting the point, and then he said, "Now, what we are doing is so, well, ordinary, to the rest of the world, I mean. Yet, we know that things are not exactly 'normal,' and even this 'normal' we have now is not really all that normal!"

She laughed, snuggled close to him, and said, "You are putting far too much thought into this! Can't you just enjoy the moment?"

All this was going on as they were passing by a post office. They were so engrossed into one another that they did not hear or see the young man coming out of the office, talking on his cell phone. "Yeah," he said, "I got here well enough. Are you getting the assets? What? How much longer? Look, I only have so much here, and I still have to clear customs on my animals. Hey, I am going to be forced to camp out until I can get the fundage, and I don't know just where in Tokyo I could do that. Besides, I don't even know if they would let a 17-year old kid rent. Look, you have the address now, so get those funds to me soon, or else I won't even have that much longer. Right, call me."

He slapped it shut, just as he was walking out of the post office, and ran right into the couple. They all fell in a heap, and he was quickly on his feet, helping them up, apologizing profusely. Though he looked like a westerner, his Japanese was excellent. "Please forgive me! I should have been watching!" said the young man. Kenta said, "No problem: I think we should have been watching too!"

Now that they were all on their feet, they got a good look at the stranger. He stood about 1.75 meters tall or so, and looked like he weighed around 145 kg. None of it seemed fat. In other words, this man cut an imposing figure. He could not have looked more Western. He wore a brown bush hat, well-groomed and tapered dirty blonde hair, a New England Patriots jersey, blue jeans, and black U.S. military boots, with the jeans tucked in the boots. He had on his back a large rucksack that seemed to carry all his possessions, and an empty five gallon water jug tied to the rig, and a silver fish emblem hanging around his neck. Karin asked, "So, did you just get in?"

"Yes," he said, "But it was a bear getting this through customs," as he pointed to the ivory handled saber strapped to the side of the rucksack. "You are American, I take it?" asked Kenta.

"Very much so," said the stranger.

"Yet, your Japanese is so good," he said, "You speak it like you were born here."

"My parents insured I became multilingual at an early age," said the stranger, "I speak this, my native tongue, French, German, and even Gaelic!"

"Gaelic," said Karin, "What language is that?"

"That was the original tongue of Scotland and Ireland," he said, "and it is a quite difficult language. What is odd is that there are only 18 letters, but the sounds of them change depending on the vowel placement, and what kind of vowel. That was actually harder to learn than Japanese!"

They all laughed, and then the young man looked at his watch, and said, "Well, sorry for bothering you. By the way, since this Japan, I know there are bathhouses around, and I haven't had a chance to bathe since I got here. Do you know where the closest one is?"

Karin gave him some directions, yet, as she did, she could not help but notice him looking at her oddly. She then said, "Is everything okay?"

He shook his head, as if he was snapping out of something, and then said, "Oh, I'm sorry, I though I recognized you from somewhere. Anyway, thank you for your time."

He then took his leave. By the look of it, they were not sure if he had anywhere to go, but they figured that it wasn't their problem, so they moved on. Still, they wondered if they would cross paths again.

It was now past sunset, and Anjou was out hunting. She had the taste for jealous young women, and she knew that this certain district of the town was always good fishing ground. This was not out of the ordinary for her to be there, at least, from a certain perspective. For everyone else, to see a thirteen year old girl in this area at this time of night was odd. Anjou paid it no mind as she made her way along. However, for some reason, she felt drawn to this point. She went to this place in town often, but not to this particular spot, and not because she was drawn there. That dream had stuck with her no end. The boy in the dream was only a few years younger than her, and she did not know if this was something that just happened, if this was something of the past, or if he or she that had the nightmare realized that they had reached out in a distress signal to other vampires, merely as a subconscious act. This was actually not out of the ordinary. It seemed odd, though, that it was that loud. Before she knew it, she was coming close to a commonly used bath house in the area. As she approached, she felt a compelling to enter. Yet, before she could, two sleazy looking young men came out of nowhere, and smiled an evil grin at her. "Hi, little girl," said one, "would you like to come and play?"

She was only thirteen, and yet, she was not naïve. She knew what they wanted. However, they had no clue what she was. She figured that she would let them take her, and then sock it to them later on, out of sight of others. She would leave _them_ with a nightmare they would not soon forget! "Come on, little girl," said the other, "I've got a nice lollipop for you to lick."

She wanted to throw up, and considered calling her brother for help. She knew he would love to throttle these scumbags. However, before that could happen, her eyes opened wide to the sight that emerged behind them. A slight grin curled one side of her mouth, as a hand snatched each of their collars and roughly yanked them backwards. He turned them towards him, and said, "You like to play games, filth? Play with me!"

He looked past them at Anjou, and said, "Run home, girl: nothing to see here!"

She stared at him, which prompted him to say, "Go home: its not safe here!"

She turned on her heel, and went around the corner.

"Let us go, _gyjin_!" snarled the one.

However, his disgust at what was in his hands grew. He made sure that there were no police around, and smashed their heads together. They both collapsed in a heap. He knew that the concussions they would awaken with would be something that they would not soon forget. Hopefully, it would knock some sense into them, but that was doubtful. The next order of business was to find a place to camp out.

As he rounded the corner, he saw the girl standing there again, staring right at him blankly. She was all in a black, Victorian ear girl's dress, holding a funny looking doll in her hands which held a yarn butcher's knife. In her very long, blonde hair was a big black ribbon. It just wasn't her dress that surprised him, it was her riveting eyes. He shook it off, and had to ask, "Honey, don't you have a home to go to?"

She did not respond, making him wonder if she understood Japanese. He then said, "_Sprechts-du die Deutsch?_"

There was no response, "_Parle-tu francais?_"

Still, she did not respond. He doubted strongly that she spoke Gaelic, and then said, "You have to understand Japanese, because you heard what I said."

She stared at him. "Look, kid," he said, "your parents are probably worried to death about you. This is a dangerous place. You are not safe here. I can't watch over you, because I got to find a place to make camp. The only hotels around here are sleazy ones, and I do NOT want to stay in those."

She cocked her head, and finally said, "Then follow me."

She walked straight past him as if he were not there, and then turned and said, "Please, follow me."

Now the kid was giving her the creeps: the dress, style of dress, the doll, the blank expression—was she some kind of serial killer? Yet, somehow, his instincts were telling him to trust her, so he followed. They had walked about a mile when they came to some cheap looking apartments, and a road that led up a hill. As the ascended, civilization seemed to melt away. As they went, she waved her hand, and kept on going. Now things seemed odd. As they were ascending, they seemed to walk into a fog. Before he could do something about it, she took his hand and guided him along. Once through the fog bank, he saw a house on the top of the hill that looked nothing like a house common to Japan. In fact, it looked European. He had to ask, "What is this: 1313 Mockingbird Lane?"

"Its home," she said.

"Are you taking me to your house?" he had to ask.

"No," she said, and guided him to a spot that allowed view of the house, but it was yet distant. She then turned to him, and said, "This is the edge of our property. Please, do not cross this line."

She took a stick, and carved a line in the dirt to ensure that he knew right where the limit was. She then said, in the same, blank fashion, "Try to use the bushes to camouflage your camp. This is no-man's land, and you can camp here. Yet, father may not understand, and chase you off anyway. Please, keep yourself concealed. You may stay here until you find proper lodging."

He thought, "I've got a bad feeling about this," but took off his pack anyway, and began to look for a good spot to conceal his tent. He then looked at the water jug, and then said to her as she turned to leave, "Say...is there a river or fresh water stream somewhere near here? I just want to fill this…"

Before he could finish, she took it, and said, "Don't worry: I'll take care of that. It will be to you before sunrise."

She left, and he wanted to protest, but decided not to push it. He thanked her, and set up camp. Meanwhile, Anjou wondered what would happen if he were caught. Somehow, she knew that he was involved somehow with the dream, but she did not know how. If she had been a normal girl, she would have owed him this much, because he would have saved her life. However, her life really had not been threatened in the slightest, and yet, she somehow saw in him a kindred spirit, and felt a need to protect him. This would take further examination. For now, she had to get the jug to the house, and then go to feed: she was starving.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter II

The next day, Jean-Claude awoke to prepare for registration. He had all the legal paperwork that would allow him to reside in Japan, and attend school there. He was now seventeen years of age, and was now a senior. Once he graduated, as his father had wished, he could then follow his ambitions full time. He only hoped that that girl had the water jug back to him in time. He had a field shower, and wanted to freshen up before he arrived. He also needed a physical address, because he knew that they would ask for it. He considered the house nearby, but then, that may have caused more problems than it solved. He decided on the apartments at the base of the hill, and just decided not to use an apartment number. He hoped it would do until he had permanent lodging to give them. He then produced a Bible, and began to read for a bit, and then he began to pray. "Dear Lord," he said, "Help me to find more of my kind, and help me to be a blessing to this town, my new high school, and all I contact. Thank you for letting me help that girl last night. She has to be going out on a limb for me, so please, look after her, and let me find lodging soon, so that I am no longer a burden. Let me continue to honor the memories of my father and mother by doing justice wherever and whenever I can. Most of all help me to bridge the gap between me and the two factions. I know that there can be symbiosis between us all. Holy Ghost, be with me today, and give me strength. Bless my breakfast, and let registration go hassle free. Amen."

When he finished, he was surprised at what he found. The water jug was full of cold water, so he was glad she kept her promise. Now he had to keep his. He continued to stay out of sight, and began to bathe. Yet, what surprised him was the fact that there were two box lunches near the jug. He picked up the note that was set on them, and read, "One is for breakfast, and one is for lunch. I hope you enjoy them. Please make sure you clean them when you are done, and just leave them out. I will retrieve them. Thank you for helping me last night, and enjoy your stay here. Anjou."

"Anjou, eh," he said to himself, "Well, at least I know your name now. Now I can name you in my prayers."

With that, he went to prepare for the day.

It was now the first day of school, and everyone was abuzz about the new year. However, Kenta and Karin were curious about the buzz of a new student. He had been in registration the day before, but they found it odd that they had not seen him or her, whoever it was. They settled into their homeroom, and then were surprised at who they saw enter. In walked a man nearly two meters tall, and full of muscle. What was odd about him was the fact that he was wearing sunglasses, even inside. They couldn't help but remember that they saw the same owl-eyed glasses on him two days before, and just as tinted. The teacher asked him about the sunglasses, and he explained that he had a genetic condition that made his eyes and skin sensitive to sunlight, so he had to wear them, even on a cloudy day. Once she understood, she then announced, "Welcome back, everyone! I trust your breaks were good. Today, we have a new student with us, an exchange student from the United States. He is extremely fluent in Japanese, so there is no worry about a communication gap. So, please, make him feel right at home here."

He looked good in the school uniform; although Karin mused that it must have been fun to find a uniform for him. They also noticed the same fish emblem around his neck. They would have to ask him what that was about later. The teacher then said, "Okay, tell us a bit about you."

"My name is Jean-Claude D'Amphile, and I am from the state of Maine in the United States, from a seaport town named Camden-Rockport. It is also right next to a wooded territory, so I am quite proficient in the woods as well as on the water. I am seventeen, and I sing, play guitar and keys, and I play ice hockey, baseball, and American Football, although I don't know if you have a team or anything."

"Well," said the teacher, "we do have Rugby, so you may want to look into that."

She then asked, "Do you have any other hobbies?"

"Well," he said, "I do like sportsmen's kind of things, and doing the odd play now and again, as well as martial arts."

"Wow!" she said, as the others began to mumble one to another and inch closer to hear more. "What kinds do you do?"

"I am expert in Savate and Pankration," he said.

"Is that through your heritage?" she then asked.

"Oh yes," he said, "My mother hailed from French Canada, but my father was a Maine native, and he and my grandfather were both Marines, so I'm kind of proud of that. They also taught me Marine hand-to-hand, so I guess I have to add that."

"I hope your stay with us is enjoyable, Jean-Claude san," said the teacher, "Please, take a seat, and we shall begin."

He took a seat right next to Karin, and she began to sense some things. He indeed seemed to be a bon vivant; however, she could not help but detect the slightest bit of unhappiness to him. It was not enough to make her blood increase, but it did intrigue her curiosity. "Today is mostly going to be getting your books and meeting your teachers, so be relieved that there will be no homework. However, don't get used to it! There will be plenty to follow in a couple of days. Tomorrow, however, is Phys Ed, so you're off the hook! Let's have a good year."

Everyone wanted to get to know the new stranger; however, Kenta and Karin were filled with curiosity, and a bit of suspicion, considering how they had met him not but two days before. It was highly irregular for someone under eighteen to be tending to his own needs, much less to be in Japan like this by himself. There had to be a greater reason why he was here. They would have to find out.

Because it was a nice day, most everyone went outside to eat. Although most people anywhere else would have mobbed the new student by this point to get to know him, being that this was Japan, they left him alone, lest they be though to be impolite. There would be time to get to know him. However, Kenta was not your average student, and Karin was not Japanese. They decided to see if he would let them have lunch with him, and get to know him. As they approached, they noticed that he began to rub sun screen on his exposed skin. They figured that this was odd, but also remembered what he had said earlier. "I didn't know such a condition existed," said Karin.

"It's rare," said Kenta, "but it is real. I feel sorry for him. I mean, he can still function, but he must go through a lot of sun screen. It must be harder if he wanted to go to the beach. However, he did say that he camped and sailed, so it must not be all that bad."

Karin approached and said, "Konichiwa, Jean-Claude san," she said, "Do you mind if we eat with you?"

Instead of being annoyed, he actually smiled broadly, and said, "I would love the company!"

They sat down, and then he said, "Yet, please, you don't have to use all those formal terms with me. Jean-Claude will do fine. I'm not really used to that."

"How so?" asked Kenta.

"Well," said Jean-Claude, "I know that in both Europe and Japan, people do not use familiar terms with one another until they get to know one another. However, in America, that is sort of the same case, except when with your peers—us high school students, for example, or coworkers. In that case, there is never a "Mr." or "Miss" anything. Its first names normally. However, we also use last names, and sometimes in sort of a nickname way. A 'Smith' for example, would be a 'Smitty.' "Jones" would be 'Jonesy' if it were a girt, and other such things."

"It seems more sociable that way," said Karin.

"It sure is," said Jean-Claude, "and I think its better that way. It makes it easier to make friends."

"It also sounds to me that you would be a plus to our English class," said Kenta, "Our homeroom teacher is also our instructor."

"Funny you mention that," said Jean-Claude, "because I insisted on that class, which I do believe is at the conversational level, is it not."

"By this point," said Karin.

"The thing is," said Jean-Claude, "what kills most who are trying to learn English is learning the slang terms."

"Slang?" asked Kenta.

"I don't know what the Japanese word for that is," answered Jean-Claude, "but it is basically terms that are not normally defined in the dictionary, but are commonly used amongst subcultures and cliques."

Karin snapped her fingers, and said, "Okay, now I got it!"

"What are some examples?" asked Kenta.

"Well, a lot of teens our age, especially in California," said Jean-Claude, "use the term 'dude' when referring to one another—like, 'Hey, dude, what's up?' 'What's up,' is like saying, 'how is it going,' or 'commo estas' in Spanish. 'Cool' is normally used by our age to describe something that is interesting and enjoyable—like, 'Hey, dude, that's cool!' 'Dig it,' or 'you dig,' is saying or asking someone if they really have a deep understanding of something—like, 'I understood it, but it took me a while to dig it.' There is much more, but, I hope that I can relay more as we go. Oh, and it also depends on where you are. In America, there are several different dialects with different slang terms. We use terms in New England that they may not use in New York City, or in Georgia, Texas, and so forth. In England, it's just as bad. All this is important to conversational English."

"It might come in handy if we end up practicing with you," said Karin, "You may slip into old habits, and completely lose us."

"Totally, dude," he said in English, and they all laughed.

They were beginning to build a friendship as lunch ended; however, they did not really give themselves a chance to know more about him. Thus, Karin took a chance and asked him about the fish. "Oh this," he said, "This was actually the symbol that represented Christianity before the Cross."

"Are you a Christian?" asked Kenta.

"Well, yes," he said, carefully, "but I know not to push my beliefs on people in a place like that unless they ask. Its better that way. I can make friends, and keep fights from happening."

"So, how did that become the symbol?" asked Karin, having never seen it before.

"That is a neat story," he said, "I'll tell you about it as we walk up."

They stood up and headed for class as he relayed the story. He said, "First, it relates to the miracles Jesus did with fish: feeding five thousand and four thousand people on two occasions, and having fishermen pull up a couple of huge catches of fish when they had toiled all night, and gained nothing. Plus, the Greek word for 'fish' is ichthyos. The Greek letters for it make an acronym: Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior. Further, during the Roman Empire, when the Church had been persecuted ten times, and one took his life into his hands for just associating with them, it became a way to convey secret messages."

Now they were very interested. "How was this done?" asked Kenta.

"Well," said Jean-Claude, "if you notice the shape, it also acts like an arrow that points somewhere. Whenever there was a meeting, someone would use some charcoal to write this on a wall, and mention a meeting. People knew to follow the pointing. What is so odd is the fact that those that sought to kill them never really caught on."

They sat at their desks as he continued, "Then, if I was to meet you, in a restaurant, say, and was talking with you, I might take this emblem off and put it on the table like so, pointing to me, and look at you knowingly. If you understood the fish thing, you may nod or something. Then I would casually turn it to you like this, and then look you in the eye to see if you understood what I was asking. If you were in the know, you would nod or something."

"That is neat," said Karin, "It's hard to believe that there was a time when an entire empire wanted all the church dead."

"True that," he said, in English, hoping to expand their slang, "but, people are funny that way. I cannot stand people that hate."

"What do you mean?" said Kenta.

"I do not care what people call themselves, if you carry hate, you are wrong!" said Jean-Claude, "That has caused more death and war than anything else in history. It is sad for the nature of mankind to fear that which they do not understand and then hate what they fear. Sometimes Groucho Marx seems like the greatest political mind in history. I'll say it in English: why can't everyone just leave everyone the heck alone!"

They all laughed at this, and then Jean-Claude then said, "Seriously, to me, there is no race but the human race. I take everyone as they are, and, as the natives of my land would say, 'Do not judge a man until you have walked a mile in his moccasins.'"

"You really feel that way?" asked Karin.

"With all the hate that I have seen in my time," said Jean-Claude, "it disgusted me, and I cannot have a bitter heart, so I told myself that I would do all I could never to be like that myself. It takes more strength and courage to love than to hate, and doing so makes one a better man. Maybe in English class, I can read the poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling. It spells out a lot of philosophy in my life."

Karin and Kenta now were really getting to know him well, and were beginning to like him. Separately, Karin thought, "If there were only more people like him, maybe my kind would not have to run and hide. He sure seems to understand how we feel."

After school that day, Jean-Claude was getting ready to go, but Kenta intercepted him, and said, "Say, we, and some friends, are going to Julian's right now. I and Karin are working, but the others usually study and eat. Later on, we join them. Of course, we don't have any today, so this would be a great chance to meet the folks."

"Another couple of slang terms for you," said Jean-Claude, "In American English, we would say, 'We're going to nosh and kibitz.'"

"Nosh and kibitz?" asked Kenta, "Where is that from."

"That is actually Yiddish," said Jean-Claude, "That is a mutt language that developed form European Jews, mixing a lot of German, some Polish, some Russian, and Hebrew, using the Hebrew alphabet. Because of the Jewish influence, some of that has ended up in American slang."

"Man, you're a walking encyclopedia!" said Kenta, "How do you know so much?"

"I read a lot," said Jean-Claude.

"Oh, and I see you brought your guitar," he said.

"Sure," said Jean-Claude, "I'll bring it. Maybe I can sing a tune or two."

Kenta thought for a minute, and said, in English, "Totally awesome, dude!"

"Hey, you're learning!" said Jean-Claude, "However, I am going to have to help you with your 'R's' and 'L's'. I hope you're not offended."

"Not at all," he said, "Sensei is a stickler for pronunciation, and any help we could get would be great."

As Karin and Kenta worked, Jean-Claude got to know the crew. Fumio was quite outgoing, now that she had found her niche. He found Maki to be bubbly and outgoing—someone very easy with whom to get along. She wanted to make friends with everyone, and found a kindred spirit in her. Weiner Sinclair, however, though he found quite brave and confident—a natural born leader—he also possessed a bit of arrogance. He would have to work on him a bit. However, he did like it when Jean-Claude spoke to him in fluent German. That seemed to put him at ease. However, he seemed to notice a recluse amongst the gang. Yuriya was a waitress there as well, but she seemed to keep to herself. She did associate with the others, but there was something interesting about her. He noticed the glasses, and also noticed that they were transition lenses. When she came closer, he asked her for some more coffee, and smiled to try to get her to do so. She did out of courtesy, and he finally got her to show some teeth. He rubbed his chin, and said to himself, "Yes, I am definitely going to have to find out more about these people."

However, after they got off their shifts, Jean-Claude excused himself, saying that he had a bit of a way to get home, and that he needed to get there before his busses abandoned him. They all waved "good-bye" and they went back to their kibitzing. Now the conversation turned to Jean-Claude. Everyone had a good opinion of him, even Yuriya. They all liked the fact that Jean-Claude had a good effect on introverts, and hoped that; maybe, they could bring her out of her shell. However, there was one thing that they did note: as open as he was, there was still an air of mystery about him. It was like he let you get close, but not too close. They wrote it off as he being the new kid, and the stranger, and figured it would be different in time.

Jean-Claude made sure to retrieve the plastic bowls from the kitchen, and he was glad that he could return them in the way for which they were asked. He had to find some way to pay back his benefactor. It was a bit spicy, but he wrote it off to the inexperience of a child. He made his way up the hill, and noticed the fog again, except this time, there was no guiding hand. He took a second or two to concentrate, and then proceeded forward. He got to his tent, and then noticed that his Phys Ed clothes were laid out for him. This was getting creepy, yet, at the same time, he knew it was better not to look a gift horse in the mouth. He was tired, and it had been a long day. He needed rest. Besides that, it was almost that time again, and he needed all the rest he could get. He left the bowls out and went to sleep.

Later on that night, as Karin went to prepare her lunches for her and Kenta, she was shocked at the sight of Anjou preparing a couple of bowls herself. She had the recipe books out, and was concentrating hard. "Oh, thank you so much for the help," said Karin, and kissed her on the head. Anjou did not know how to answer, and she said, "It's not a problem."

"However, let me watch you," said Karin, "You have a tendency to over spice. I know your taste buds can't pick up the spices as well."

The two worked together, and Karin insured her that, no matter what she tasted, if she stuck to the recipe, she could not go wrong. Once that was done, Karin excused herself for bed. Anjou was hungry, and wanted to feed, but now she would have to do two more, for she did not want to let on yet what was happening until the time was right. She had her suspicions about Jean-Claude, but she had to be sure.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter III

Jean-Claude got his Phys Ed clothes on, and found both the meals and his water jug filled again. He began to ask himself why it was that she was being such a mother hen, and said, "Lord Jesus, please, help me find a way to repay for the charity," and proceeded to eat. Because of how he was situated, he did not see Karin emerge from her house and head down the hill. She met up with Kenta, and they went their way. They had not gone but a few blocks when they ran into Jean-Claude on his cell phone. "You said it was coming, right? Well, where is it? I don't have that much more time. I know we're talking nearly ten thousand miles here, but it should have been here by now. Look, if they try to visit, it might be trouble," and he then noticed the couple, and said, "Listen, I can't talk right now, I have to go. No, just call in a few hours, okay? Bye!"

"Who was that?" said Karin.

"That was our family lawyer," he answered, "I have money that was supposed to be coming to me. It's been tied up in legal matters for nearly a year now, but hopefully, it will be on the way soon. Boy, do I need it!'

"How much are you talking, if you don't mind my asking?" asked Kenta.

"No, I don't," said Jean-Claude, "because you would find out soon anyway. It is enough to say that I would be financially set."

They both stared at his eyes, hidden behind the Ray Ban sunglasses he wore for Phys Ed. "No wonder you can handle yourself alone," said Karin, "but, I hope this is not too personal: where are your parents."

He turned his head away, and stared off into the distance for about 20 seconds. He then said very frankly, "They're dead."

Karin felt her blood begin to rise due to the unhappy aura that he was projecting. She had to change the subject quickly, but he then said, "It is what happened that made me learn not to be bitter. I mean, I have to take the bad things that happened and make it good. There is an old saying—when life hands you a bunch of lemons, make lemonade."

Kenta began to see Karin's distress, and said, "So, it's an inheritance, I take it?"

"Oh yes," he answered, "It's all tied up in investments, and I live off the interest, so I have no need for a job. This is good, because I can then dedicate my time to far more positive endeavors."

His unhappy aura began to fade a bit, which relieved Karin, and she said, "What kind of endeavors?"

"I want to do work that unites all kinds of people, and educate them against prejudice, so we can unite all kinds of beings," he said, "That way, no one ever has to face the kinds of things that I, and many others, have seen."

They made their way along, and bumped right into Victor Sinclair. The couple was happy to see him, but Jean-Claude took a slight defensive step backward. Victor saw him, and said, "_Geuten Tag! Wie-Geits?_"

"That all depends," he said in Japanese.

They continued to converse in German, and Jean-Claude began to relax a bit. Then Victor began to point to the two of them, and Jean-Claude began to examine them. Jean-Claude then asked him something, to which he seemed to affirm strongly. "_Ah so!_" he said, "_Jetzt verstehe ich es_! _Das ist sehr gut!_ " and extended his hand to Victor. As they shook, they began to talk further, Victor began to point here and there, and then looked him in the eye, as if to tell him something quite important. Jean-Claude pumped his head up and down, and said, "_Wann die ur_ _kommst, wir gehen der gut machen!_"

As they said their good-byes, Karin and Kenta were brimming with curiosity. "What was that all about?" asked Karin.

"You know him?" asked Kenta.

Jean-Claude answered the latter, and said, "Actually, yes. Oddly enough, I should have recognized his grandson yesterday. I'm just glad that he got his head screwed on straight. I hope that he did the same for his grandson."

Karin was beginning to become a bit afraid. Now she did not know Jean-Claude's intentions, and wondered if she should get Anjou to erase his memory, or something. "What's the big deal?" asked Kenta.

"Well," Jean-Claude said, "One thing I know about him is that he was a man that harbored a lot of hate. Some of the things he did were horrendous. Yet, it seems that something has happened to change his ways, and now he is turning those skills to good things. He should be proud of his grandson, though, he is a natural leader."

This did not completely set Karin at ease, because this boy had a past association with Victor in his former ways, and she wondered if Jean-Claude was as he had been. She would have to tread lightly. However, the whole conversation was not unnoticed. A bat dropped from a tree and returned to the house. Anjou, who had been waiting for her information before she went to bed, had watched and seen the whole thing. Even more so now did she trust him, and she decided to help him all the more. She dispatched a flock of bats to go to the main sorting office and find the package he sought. He would be more than pleased, and it would also give him the chance at proper lodging which would get him off the hill and out of danger.

At Phys Ed, he proved himself to be quite the athlete, and then spent time on the weights after this. Everyone was shocked at how much strength he possessed. He was benching more than three times his own body weight, so he was as strong as he looked. Lunch was called for, and as he ate, he was approached by the captain of the Rugby team. Jean-Claude said that he would love to give it a try, and hoped that he could pick up on the game quickly. The Rugby team met after lunch, and Karin had a chance to watch him in action. However, he had to take off his sunglasses, and it seemed to pain him a bit. She wondered if he was blind, by this, but he seemed to act as if his sight did not bother him. He did rub his eyes from time to time, and put the sunglasses back on whenever he was able. When he played, he was very physical, and hit hard! She remembered what he had said about ice hockey, and wondered what he was like on the ice. She sure felt sorry for anyone that had to suffer a body check from him!

By the end of the day, however, he seemed a bit weak. He was surprised that he would have to act so soon, and figured that it was because of the time zone changes that his metabolism had shifted. Thus, he would have to get used to the change. Kenta saw this as he was leaving, and said to him, "This is odd to say, considering how tan you are, but, you look a bit pale. Are you okay?"

"Oh!" he said, looking a bit surprised, "I'm sorry, it was just too much time without my specs. I can't wear them in sports like that, so I have to tough it out. It was a bit too long, though. I do better on cloudy days."

"Oh, okay," said Kenta, "Are you going to come to Julian's now?"

"Not today," said Jean-Claude, "I have some things to tend to, and I will probably be there tomorrow, bright-eyes and bushy-tail."

"Well, get some rest," said Kenta, "and I'll see you tomorrow."

Jean-Claude let out a sigh of relief. What he said about the eyeglasses was true, but it was not completely the reason why he felt the way he did. He did not want to lie, and did not lie, yet, he knew that it would take time before he could tell him the whole truth. If Karin was what he suspected, Kenta may also know this, and he could be trusted. This, however, would take some time.

When he returned, the sun had just set, and he took a few minutes to clean out the bowls. He then went to his things, and found a large envelope at the door of the tent. He picked it up, and then saw it was addressed to him from his lawyer. Now he began to worry. How did this get here? The only person outside of the post office that knew he was expecting this package was Karin and Kenta, and the only one that knew he was there was Anjou. How did this get here? He felt the pangs, and then realized that he needed to get to work, lest he go into a rage. He would find out later. If things went well, he may be able to catch her that night, and get some answers. He opened up the envelope, and sure enough, there was all the paperwork and what he needed to secure a bank account for the money that would be coming. There was also some cash in there so he could get the ball rolling, and fetch his animals from quarantine. He secured them with his belongings, and proceeded to prepare for that night.

Ren was in the district that Jean-Claude and Anjou had been the night before, with one of his many blood dolls. He had no real love for humans, yet, there was no reason why he could not get his thrills in the process of getting his meals. Considering the stress that he relieved in these women, he figured that he should be treated like he was doing a public service. There was only one human he trusted, and that trust was shaky at best. However, he had to rely on Kenta to protect his sister, not only because she was his sister, not only because she was up in the daytime, and that was her only protection, but now, because she was key to the survival of the vampire species. He also had to suck it up and treat him well, or else it would not take much for him to squeal to the right people, and all would be over for every vampire in Japan. Of course, that would cost Kenta his life, and Kenta knew it, so, out of fear and common sense, the boy kept his mouth shut. Besides, he made a good blood doll for his sister, and even volunteered his neck if it meant keeping things a secret. He figured, "At least he's good for something."

He had just come out of the club after looking for a meal, and he had no success. Thus, he went out to an alley to get out his "little black book" and see upon whom he could call. He had wandered down the alley a ways, not paying attention to where he was. His cockiness was renown, but he figured that they were just humans, and if they wanted to do something, they would have Hell to pay for tangling with him, so he let his guard down often. However, this night, it did him no good. He had come to the wall at the end of the alley as he scanned his names, and turned about to walk some more. It was then he saw them. He had been so focused on what he was doing; his normally acute senses did not detect the eight individuals coming from behind. He stood frozen as if he were a deer with his eyes affixed on a set of headlights. They all looked mean, and they all were carrying some kind of weapon: a rod, a knife, a set of nunchucks, and so forth. They said, "Give us your money," very quietly. This was not good. He still felt he could take them, but he was not sure just how far he would have to go to defend himself. He could not "vamp out" fully, lest he give away too much. They all began to close in on him, and he thought about running, and then remembered the wall behind him. He figured that, now, he had no choice. He was going to get hurt, but he would erase their memories when it was over. He just hoped it did not involve killing anyone. However, just as they began to rush in from the shadows, a large blur landed in front of them. It was moving too fast for them to react. Despite his enhanced vision and hearing, it was hard to track the action. Within seconds, seven of the eight were on the ground with various missing limbs and deep cuts from the healthy piece of steel the stranger carried. Those men had no time to scream. The blur stopped in front of the last man after he had disarmed him, and this was the first look at the one who had struck like lightning. He had on a black, flat brimmed hat, not unlike a preacher from the American Old West would have worn, a black scarf that covered his mouth and nose, a black trench coat, black military pants, and combat boots. In his hand was a saber, but Ren could not make out what kind for the darkness, and because of the fingerless black gloves that the stranger wore covered the hilt. The stranger held the man against the side wall, with glowing eyes, and the stranger was growling. The mugger was too terrified to scream. "You danced to the tune, now its time to pay the piper, scum!" the stranger grumbled, and he pulled down his scarf. Ren could not see the face clearly, but he was shocked when he saw the set of fangs that the stranger had! The mugger began to scream, but it was stifled as the stranger sunk in his fangs. After about a minute, the stranger peeled himself away, and let out a roar. He dropped the man on the ground, and then reached out his hand, and all the muggers began to glow yellow. The stranger growled, "You shall remember none of this, but whenever you try this again, terror and pain is all you will be able to experience!"

The wounds of the men closed, but those that had removed limbs did not have them reattached. Ren knew that, when they came to, they would be driven insane, wondering how their hand or arm was missing and why. When he had finished, he had the scarf back on, and he sheathed his saber after cleaning it off. He then looked at Ren staring back at him, not sure what to do next. Stranger tipped his hat, and disappeared up to the rooftops. Ren quickly left from there, lest they come to, and he be accused of harming the men. He then began to wonder what he had just seen. One thing was for sure, that stranger was a vampire, no question. However, how was it that he was operating there, and his father knew nothing of it? He hoped that Anjou had one of her bats watching out for things, or that he could find her in the city somewhere, and get some answers.

He watched Ren from the rooftops, wondering what his next move should be. The night was young, and he knew there had to be some more crimes that he could bust before he had to wrap it up for the night. That this man was a vampire he knew clearly: he had read Ren's aura before he left. However, he also knew that he had been seen biting one of the muggers, and so, he wondered if the vampire in charge of this territory was going to be tipped off to his actions? It did not matter if that was so, because, he always operated independently anyway. Besides, he was just as hated by the vampires as he was the humans, and yet, he still wished not to kill either. Yet, he knew that battle with vampires may be upcoming, so he had to be ready. Besides all this, if the renegade vampires that he had been tracking had truly come here, nothing or no one in Japan was safe, thus, in the long run, they would actually owe him. He only hoped that, this time, he would be welcomed instead of shunned, despite the aid he had rendered to others before. He hoped that this time, he could settle down. He was glad that the Sinclairs had changed their ways, and he may be able to recruit their help when the time came. All he had to do was train them in the right way to hunt, and the right things to hunt. His allies in the hunter world were growing, and he was glad to have had a hand in reforming most of them. He would have to stay close to Wiener Sinclair and Maki, and then find out how much Maki knows about Karin and vampires. For now, it was time to hunt.

Meanwhile, back at the house, Anjou, who called it early that night, (she had been fortunate to find a victim early,) had been watching the whole ordeal. Her bats were all over the city, and she was able to keep tabs on all of her family. However, one thing that she knew was that her suspicions about Jean-Claude were correct. His aura gave him away ages ago, yet, she did not want to let on that she knew anything. She already knew that he would not harm her or her family, but because of what he was, she knew that he probably knew nothing, or cared nothing for, checking in with her father when he came into town. It seemed to her that he acted independently anyway, and for good reason. He had to have been the one that had the nightmare, because he looked just like a grown up version of the ten year old boy in the dream. If he was what she thought, there were few places that he could call "safe," and so, concealing himself was useful. Yet, if he were to gain daddy's favor, he could be a good guard for Karin and maybe a good match for her as well. She had to admit, she liked Kenta, and knew that he would take good care of her. However, he was only a human, and being so, it could put her sister at constant risk. If there were vampires that still did not understand Karin's value, there could be trouble, and he was powerless to help her in that regard. Once he got his own place, maybe then she could convince him to meet her father. She knew daddy had a soft spot, and she knew that she could convince her father to meet this person, befriend him, and have him guard the whole family. One thing was this: she never knew a d'amphile could have that much power. He had to have been trained by the best. Certainly, he did not shy away from the blood sucking side of him.

It was about midnight, and he knew he would be dog tired by the next day if he did not get back and rest. He had a whole day of school, and then he had to get his studies done, and do some home hunting on the weekend. All he knew was that his camping days were over for that moment. He hoped that, now, his life could gain some regularity. When he arrived, he heard a voice behind him say, "This explains how you get up here without a guide."

Because he recognized the voice, he did not react violently. He just turned around and saw Anjou standing there, staring at him. "How much do you know?" he asked her.

"I know who and what you are," she said, "and my bats have been watching you. You saved my brother tonight, and for that, I am grateful."

"That was your brother?" he said, very surprised.

"He got himself in it deep tonight," she answered, "and I hope he learned a lesson about arrogance tonight."

"You have not exposed me—why?" he asked.

"I don't want you to have to run," she answered.

"I don't want to run anymore myself," he said, "and I hope that you realize I want to help you."

"I know," she said, and she took the bowls and prepared to leave. As she did, he said to her, "One more thing: always value your family. At least you have one. I would hate for you to lose that."

"I know," she said again, "and I thank you, however…"

"However, what?" he asked.

"I only wish you could stay," she said, "I feel so much safer with you here, and even more so now."

"The only way that would happen is if your father included me in the family," he said, "What are the odds of that?"

Her answer was merely her gentle, girl-like grin. She then turned about on her heel, and was gone. He sat down, and thought, "To have a family again would be great. Could they get past the hate?"

Ren returned home, looking for his parents, but he could not find them. He figured that they must be out hunting, so he would have to wait to tell them. It was at that point that he heard Anjou in the kitchen, and went to investigate. He saw her preparing two lunches, and asked her, "Trying to help your sister?"

"In a sense," she said, not even looking up from her work.

He thought for a moment, and then asked, "Have you seen anything out of the usual in the past few days?"

"That depends on what you call 'usual,'" she reasoned to him.

He had to admit that she had a point. Nothing on any given night could be called routine, especially now that Karin had Kenta around. He just had to be plain. "Look, I don't think this guy would be any harm but…"

"You want me to be careful from now on, right?" she finished in a question.

There was silence for about a minute, and Anjou paid his staring no mind. He then asked, "How much do you know?"

"Enough to know you got careless tonight," she said, now looking him dead in the eye, and then return to her preparations.

"What else?" he demanded, now becoming a bit more agitated.

"If it weren't for him, you could be dead," she said.

"Highly unlikely," he said, "but he was a help."

She let it go, and he stared some more. For some reason, her answers were not satisfying, so he asked, "You do realize that he has broken all protocol, and failed to let father know he was here."

"I don't think he would say anything anyway," she said, "I think he is scared."

"What's there to be scared of?" he asked, "You come, or you call, tell him your coming, let him know if you are staying, or passing through, and behave yourself. That's normal."

"I don't think he's 'normal,'" she said, "I think he fears that he would not be understood."

Ren was now starting to get angry, and began to raise his voice a bit, "Just how much _do_ you know?"

She kept her stoic look and continued to prepare the bowls. She then said, "When I feel I can trust _you_ with his identity, you will know all."

She turned on her heel, and left. Ren wanted to follow her, but realized that trying to get anything out of her would be like trying to get blood out of a turnip, so he let it go. He wondered if this whole thing was an omen of things to come.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter IV

Jean-Claude awoke the next morning feeling energized and refreshed. He did his normal morning ritual, thanking God for the safety of those he had the chance to rescue, and thanked God for the chance to rescue them. He also thanked God for Anjou's help, and asked His divine blessing upon her. He then asked God to insure that, during his forays, he did not seek to kill any save the abominations of renegade vampires. He knew well that it was they who make the worst situation for his kind, and that, once they gain that bloodlust, they become abominations, reprobates, and that there was no hope for them. By their destruction, it meant the sparing of countless lives on both sides of things. He asked the Holy Ghost for power to always remember where the line was, and not to cross it, lest he became as evil as what he fought. As he readied himself for school, he thought it convenient that his taste lie in evil—vampires or humans—he rolled both ways on that. He only found it sad that, considering the nature of the hominid—be he human or vampire—there was enough around to satisfy what he considered his darker side. However, he also knew that it was only darker if it were allowed to become twisted and power hungry. He had learned a lot about his powers in seven years, and he was thankful that he fell into the hands of that group of vampires that continued what his mother had taught him. He learned that it was okay to be what one was, and learn to embrace that and love it. If a d'amphile, (half human, half vampire,) was what he was, then so be it. Even that could be turned to God's use as a holy avenger for Him. He only hoped that his mom and dad were happy, and able to see what he had become. Because they had taught him to be secure in whom he was, he was able to learn how to use the blood he had and gained as well as any vampire. If he were not a day walker, he could have easily been mistaken for a full vampire. On the other hand, he did bear a heavy burden of double blood. It is hard enough when you have t run from ignorant humans, it is worse when you have to run from ignorant vampires as well. This is why he was a lone wolf. This is why he knew he could not walk up to the chief of this town, because he was not sure what would happen. However, his two aces in the hole had to be Anjou, of whom he was forced to assume was related to the chief somehow. The other was Karin. He did not know her relationship, but he also knew she was not a d'amphile. He had to get the dirt on her if he could. He was not so sure about Yuriya, because she was a d'amphile like his own self, and he did not know her relationship either. It had to be okay, because Karin associated with her, yet, he wasn't sure. He needed more time. As he readied, Karin was already heading out. However, he was unaware of this, as he began to sing as he bathed. He was singing "Angie's Song," and she could only make out the rough meaning of the song, since she was still learning her English. Then it struck her: why was she hearing singing at all, and why was it so familiar? It was faint, so she assumed that she was imagining things, and went on. Yet…no, she let it go. Something in her gut told her to let it go.

Before he left, he left a note for her, telling her that he would hope to be off the hill by that weekend, and he said to her that if there were any way to repay the debt, she should find him, and let him know. He would cross heaven and earth to get it done. With that he headed out. Halfway to school, they bumped into Jean-Claude, wearing that characteristic set of specs, and the tan skin. They had to assume that it was his conditions that cause the tanning. One thing they remarked on was how energetic and happy he seemed. He had his guitar with him, and he said that he was just bringing it for when everyone was done with their homework. "Wow!" said Kenta, "You must have had one great night of sleep, or something."

"I just had a great night last night," said Jean-Claude, "and it was even better now that the money has come through. I hope I can find good lodging this weekend. Man, everything's going my way for once, and I can get my animals this weekend too."

"What kind of animals are those?" asked Karin.

"Well, you might think this silly," he answered.

She giggled, said, "No I won't! What are they?"

"Well, they're my _fleidermausen_,"

"Fleider…what?" said Kenta.

"Sorry, just messin' with you," said Jean-Claude, "They are bats."

Karin shuddered for a moment, and then said, "Bats? Those are odd pets," and then thought to herself, "Odd for a human, anyway."

"I like bats," he said, "They are so misunderstood. The word I used before is German, which translates, quite literally, as 'flying mouse.' Essentially, that's all they are. Yet, they are so beneficial."

"Okay, you have my attention," said Kenta, "Educate me."

"Well," Jean-Claude continued, "They are great insect control. They eat mosquitoes and other pests by the tons. Without animals like them, we would be covered in the things. I have a large brown, a small brown, a Mexican free-tail, and my buddy, Bruce the Australian flying fox."

"Flying fox?" asked Karin.

"Yep," he said gleefully, "It's the largest bat in the world, and they have such a cute face. They use sonar just like any other bat, and it is a fruit bat. Its wingspan is incredible. The other bats are trained to demonstrate their hunting ability, and their use of sonar."

"Why all of that?" asked Karin.

"I like to teach people about bats," answered Jean-Claude, "and how they are needed. In fact, if I can convince enough people, we might be able to build some bat houses on the roof of the school, and get rid of some of the pest bugs around here. Believe me; it isn't hard to build them."

"Sounds neat," said Karin, "I know someone that would love them."

"If Julian will let me," added Jean-Claude, "I will bring Bruce over for everyone to meet. He is very affectionate, and a big love. He's also a bit of a clown. He loves to be the center of attention."

They arrived at school, and Maki and Wiener met them. Jean-Claude greeted them warmly, and Maki was all the more happy to respond as cheerfully, if not more cheerfully, than Jean-Claude. Jean-Claude then commented in the best Scottish accent he could muster in Japanese, "I don't know what you've been drinking, lass, but pour me a pint!"

As they went, Jean-Claude began to contently hum the tune to "Angie's Song," and Karin was getting into it. Suddenly, she stopped, and realized that she had heard that tune, and that voice, before. Her friends have already gone on a few steps, and she stared holes in the back of Jean-Claude. Was that him this morning? If so, how in the name of common sense was he on the hill, and why?

The day went well enough, and Jean-Claude was able to make contact with a couple of boys about forming a band. If they were able to get enough people, they might be able to get something going. After class, they went to Julian's, did their homework, and Jean-Claude began to mess around on the guitar. He also made mention of forming a band, and Maki said, "Do you have a drummer?"

"Not yet," said Jean-Claude.

"Then count me in," said Maki.

"Hey, wait a minute!" said Karin, as she passed by to serve an order, "I don't ever remember you playing drums!"

"You don't know everything about me," teased Maki.

"I might as well," said Karin, and then Yuriya said, "Hey, you can…how did you say it, Jean-Claude…kibitz later, you still have ten minutes left on your shift."

"Yes, ma'am," said Karin, sarcastically.

"Yuriya," piped up Jean-Claude, "Can I have a word with you after work today?"

"Kind of forward, aren't we…" she said, but Jean-Claude interrupted, and said, "It's nothing like that. I just have a couple of questions for you, that's all."

She wanted to tell him where to put it, but there was something that told her to listen, and she said, "Well…okay, I'm off in a half-hour."

"Thanks," he said, and he went back to his music. Ten minutes later, Karin joined them, as did Kenta, and they started their homework. Maki commented on how she hated the new moon, it was always too dark. Jean-Claude said, "There is nothing to be afraid of. Nighttime and darkness have a beauty of their own. He thought for a minute, and then began to play and sing "The Music of the Night" from _Phantom of the Opera_, and did so, attempting to "cast a spell" over her, so to speak. He wanted to convey his point in that song. However, the whole restaurant was applauding, especially a woman in a booth with a rather well-dressed and long haired young man. "That was beautiful," she said, but the young man was not saying anything. However, he stood up, and said, "Well, it looks like you captured the essence of the night."

It was Ren, and Jean-Claude knew there was no mistaking the face. "However," said Ren, "there must be something you fear."

"Fear is only ignorance expressed through panic," said Jean-Claude, "and the more one tries to learn, the less fear one has. I have respect for certain things, but not fear."

"Perhaps, one day, we can put that to the test," said Ren, trying to put the fear of God into this human without "vamping up." However, Jean-Claude only met it with a slight grin. He began to strum on his guitar again, and said, "Perhaps."

Karin stood up and whispered to him, "We'll talk later!" as Jean-Claude broke into "Hotel California." Ren returned the grin, and went back to his table. He hoped the two would cross paths again. Karin was angry. She knew he knew better than to try to intimidate her friends. However, she found it odd that Jean-Claude did not even flinch. Most people would have backed down when Ren did what he had done, but this one…

After work, Yuriya met him as everyone went their ways. However, Karin asked Kenta to wait there with her as she watched what happened. "I don't think that's our business," said Kenta, but Karin said, "You don't understand. This morning I heard his voice, vaguely in the distance, singing."

"So," said Kenta, "Sound carries well up there, and you know he always seems to meet us from the other side, right?"

"Well, you may be right," she said, "except it didn't seem that distant. Besides, I have never seen anyone take a stare down like that from my brother and just smile at him."

"Maybe he's cool under pressure," he said, "There are people like that."

"Then what is his business with Yuriya?" she retorted.

As she said this, she heard, "So, you're on your own—do you know of any good apartments near the school. I've been looking for better accommodations since I arrived in Japan."

Kenta then said, "See, its business. Can we go now?"

Karin apologized, and they both left before hearing the rest of the conversation. Yuriya mentioned a couple of places, and then she said, "Is that all you wanted to ask me?"

He shuffled a bit and said, "No. Actually…" he trailed off, looked around, and then said, "I needed to confide something to you, because you are Karin's friend, and I need to mention something that you may be able to empathize with."

He looked around, and said, "I only tell you this, because I am pretty sure you are what I am. If so, then I am going to need you as someone that can hear my concerns and understand."

Her instincts told her to run, but his eyes were not that of a creep, but of a desperate man that indeed seemed to need help. He then said, "I am a d'amphile—half human, half vampire—as I believe you to be."

Now she really wanted to run, but he grabbed her wrist. "Please," he said, "I did not tell you that to scare you. I just wanted to say that I understand what you may be going through and…"

"How are you so sure?" she said angrily.

"The transitional lenses in your glasses gave you away," he said, "in addition to your tan skin. Also, unless we have the same dentist, or have the same concepts of dental fashion, I don't think our canine teeth are there just to eat steak better!"

With that, he smiled, and let her see his. He then said, "Quite a tan you have there, by the way?"

"No wonder Re…that man didn't scare you off," she said.

"Yeah," he said, "I know his kind—a lot of hot air, but no substance."

"Okay," she said, "I guess I know where you are coming from. But, why are you telling me this?"

"There is more than just me wanting to settle here," he said, "There is danger afoot, and I am here to help stop it."

"Danger?" she asked, "What do you mean?"

"Renegade vampires are trying to move in to Tokyo," he said, "and whoever the chief is needs to know that there is going to be a challenge to his power."

She stiffened, and said, "And they wouldn't think of offing a couple of half-breeds, would they?"

"That's the beauty of it," he said, "because I have been training for years for these kinds of things. If I can beat them, then that can at least put us 'half-breeds' as you call us, in a good light."

"How does Karin play into this?" she asked.

"It isn't hard to know what she is when you know what to look for," he said, "Besides, I am so curious to know how a full blooded vampire can walk about in the daytime like that. She has to be special."

"She is very special," she said, "but I still don't understand."

"Between the two of you," he continued, "maybe you can introduce me to the chief, if you think that' safe. I mean, it must be, or else you would not be so public."

She thought for a moment, and then said, "Why can't you do this yourself?"

"That is not something one broadcasts," he said, "because I have never met him or her, and I do not know how they take us. They may not want more than one d'amphile in the area, and I cannot take chances. I need them as allies in the upcoming fight, not enemies."

She thought for a moment, and then said, "Give me a few days: I'll see what I can do. In the meantime, thank you for the info. I'll watching my back from now on."

As they parted, she then asked, "By the way, how are you going to deal with it?"

"By the grace of God," he said.

"Should have figured that from you!" and they parted.

Jean-Claude went back to his campsite with the clean bowls, and he found a note: "Dear Jean-Claude, it will be sad to see you go, but I liked having you around. If daddy only knew how strong and brave you are, he would never want you to leave. I feel safe with you around. You are like a guardian angel. Keep your wings over us. Anjou."

"Boy, that kid knows how to hit the heartstrings, doesn't she?" he thought. For some reason, it is as if she knew of the danger lurking about, and wanted him around. However, very soon, he would have the chance to be the avatar she sought.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter V

They stood on the outskirts of the city, looking in, thinking how they stood close to godhood. The eldest of them said, "So this is the place where the blood maker lives, eh?"

"Most certainly, master," said the drooling g'hul, "I've seen her g'hul, and they seem quite attached."

"What else do you know about her?" he asked.

"There could be a problem," said the g'hul.

"How so?"

"She's the daughter of the chief there."

"That's a worry?" he asked rhetorically, "That's Henry Marker you are talking about! James may have been a worry, but he's no more. Elda is strong, but it's only her. The boy is powerful, but cocky, and careless. The blood maker has no idea how to use her blood, so she is ripe for the picking. They don't stand a chance."

"Master, I've heard that hunters are there!"

He smacked him on the back of the head, and said, "Sinclair? HA! He's nothing! What chance does some human have against us?"

"No, master, there is another!"

"Another—what do you mean?"

"There are rumors of a protector in the city! He's already started to clean up the neighborhoods, and he is powerful."

"Is he a vampire?"

"He is a day walker."

At first, he wanted to write it off and say that some half-breed was no match for a full fledged vampire. However, he had heard rumors of the half-breed boy that got away, and has been seeking revenge ever since. If that were the case, there may be a problem. If he were to unite and train them… He said to his g'hul, "Nikoli, send a message to some of our common foot soldiers. Send in four to the Maker residence, if you can find it, and see what happens. Pick only four, and make sure that they are good, but expendable. If they lose, I don't want to lose our best."

"Very good, master: when do you want them to go?"

"In 24 hours, Friday evening, send them. Watch closely, and see what happens."

"Excellent, master, It will be done," and Nikoli ambled off. Boris mused on how each g'hul reacted to certain kinds of vampire blood. Some remained normal, some turned beastly, like this one. They were a nuisance, but they took care of things in the daytime. Yet, soon, a time would come when even they would be expendable. Once they yoked the Marker cow, and milked her blood, they would have what they needed to empower them to dominate the other vampires, and enslave the human cattle once and for all. The insignificant creatures would soon know terror like they never imagined it.

English class was entertaining that day, as the teacher asked Jean-Claude to come up and help. As a joke, he said, "Howdy, y'all! I don't speak no good English!" in a redneck sort of way. They all laughed, and then he said, (normally, but slow enough for the slower students to follow,) "Sadly, if you go to America, you may run into this. Not everyone is that bad, however, but there is something else that we must deal with. In my time here, I have been learning the slang terms in your native tongue, and I have been trying to make use of them. Please forgive me for the faux pas!"

Everyone laughed. He then said, "However, American slang is more diverse, and changes from region to region. In conversational English, we use terms that do not translate into Japanese very well, and thus, you may find it hard to follow a conversation. Thus, I wish to expand your knowledge on this matter. For example, if I were to tell you to 'take a flying leap at a rolling doughnut,' how many of you would know what I just meant?"

Two or three hands went up. "Okay, you," he said, and the student said, "You have told someone you wish them to leave you alone."

"Pretty much," said Jean-Claude, "and more specifically, you would have told someone to go away and pursue something of more worth than what that person was pursuing at that moment, which obviously, was not all that important."

Heads started pumping up and down, as they began to get it. He continued, "Now some things are easy. For example, 'He's more nervous than a long-tailed cat in a rocking chair contest.' 'He's dancing around like a cat on a hot tin roof.'

However, some terms are not as easy. For example, 'It's not over until the fat lady sings.' Who can tell me what that means?"

Kenta thought for a moment, and then said, "That is like opera, isn't it?"

"As a matter of fact, you are right," said Jean-Claude.

A music student in class thought for a moment, and then said, "Wagner: it's from the 'Ring' cycle—Gotterdammerung."

"Right," said Jean-Claude, "and in the old days, many opera singers had some girth, and Brunheilda's immolation aria is 17 minutes long, and is right before the end of the show. How this is applied is like this: if you think that all is lost, but there is still time left in whatever you pursue, then what you mean by this is, 'Don't give up. As long as we have time, and even a slim chance, we can work it out.'

Normally, this is applied to sports, but it can be used in other things as well. It is a sign of confidence that one can succeed, no matter the odds."

Jean-Claude began to see the light bulbs going on over their heads, so he knew something was sinking in. He then spent the rest of the period dealing with easy slang terms, and the kinds of slang one might encounter, depending on where one went. The most fun was had when he began to describe all the different terms for "vomit." That got the class rolling. The period ended, and it was the end of the day. "Okay, everyone pass your assignments forward. If you are not working a job or in a club, please head home, or to your study halls, and be ready for Monday."

As the class broke up, Karin said, "So will you be at Julian's today?"

"Nah," he said, "We have to go over our set plays before the big game tomorrow night, so I might not make it."

"Too bad," said Maki, "I was hoping we could practice."

"Well, that would out this weekend as well," he said, "I've got some important business to tend to, but maybe we can go over a few things at Julian's after we get our assignments done."

"Oh, okay," she said, "But we'll all be there for the game Saturday night. The first game of the season is always important. We got to get that win!"

Everyone cheered, and said they would be ready to support the team. Jean-Claude then asked Kenta, "Oh, by the way, what is our mascot?"

"What do you mean?" asked Kenta in return.

"I mean are we the Bears, the Eagles, the Warriors, or something like that?" he asked again, more specifically.

"Oh, now I see what you mean," said Kenta, "Well, I don't think this school really has one."

"Whoa," said Jean-Claude, "That has to change."

"Well, this school is so new," continued Kenta, "that we really haven't decided on one yet. I grant you, it's been open for a few years, but we really have not come up with one yet."

"Then we have to put that one before the student council," said Jean-Claude.

"We still have to elect the class officers, so it may be a while," said Kenta.

"No worries," said Jean Claude, "We have time. Well, see you Monday."

They said their good-byes, and went to attend to their business.

Jean-Claude took some time to clean the bowls out real well before he went to his camp, and looked forward to this being his last night there. He had a few good prospects already in mind, and they would all take him, so he figured that he could be in tomorrow, and have at least a few furnishings in. That would come in time. He decided to walk back rather than take the bus, because it was a nice evening, and he wanted to learn the area better. He walked back to the camp, and left the bowls right on the edge of the line that he kept marked, so he would not forget where he was. He decided to take some time in deep prayer, and time in his Bible, hoping for some bliss. He had no clue what was going on below the hill.

Karin, Kenta, and Yuriya all got off work at the same time, and Yuriya figured that this would be a good time to probe Karin, and see if she might be able to say something in Jean-Claude's defense to her father. She had not told Jean-Claude that the chief was her father, because she did not know if she would go and do something irrational. She had to tread lightly. "Karin," she said, "If I were to tell you of someone who wants to report to your father, but was scared to say anything for fear of something bad happening…well, I don't think its fear, but more like caution. Anyway, he does not know how to approach your father and report in, but, I was hoping that, if you were to talk to your father, maybe you could ease things."

"Could you try that again with about two or three less riddles?" said Karin.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I just don't want to say who it is because I want to be sure that things will go well."

"Did he talk to you or something?" asked Karin.

"Well, he's like me," she said, "and you know the prejudice that our kind deals with from time to time. I remember when I met your father, well, your whole family. That was not exactly the best time! So, I can understand his trepidation."

"He's another half-vampire?" asked Karin, "Have I met him?"

"I'll wait until I get an answer about your father before I mention anything about that," Yuriya responded.

"You have my father all wrong," said Karin, "He's a sweetheart. I'm sure he would love to talk to him, once I explain how scared this…well…someone is."

Karin thought for a moment, chuckled, and said, "It's my mother that can be all claws and fangs!"

All three got a big belly laugh out of that. Yuriya wondered if she should mention the warning that Jean-Claude gave, but she figured that that could wait. She then said, "Maybe I could be there with you, since I know most of the details."

"Of course," said Karin, "You're always welcome!"

They hugged, and found themselves outside Kenta's place. Karin said, "Why don't you come up tonight?"

"Sorry," she said, "I've got things to do. It's that time again."

Karin nodded knowingly, and said, "Remember what Anjou taught you about erasing the memory. You don't want to botch it."

"Okay, good night, you two," she said, and took her leave.

Kenta had politely listened to the whole thing, knowing that things like this still were not his area of expertise. "Man, the way things are going," said Kenta, "half the city is going to be vampire."

"And this is a bad thing, because…" she asked.

"All the humans are going to wonder why they are so anemic!" joked Kenta.

She turned to him, and slipped her arms around his waist as she got closer, "And you'll be the only one not that way. I'll make sure of that."

At this, they kissed passionately, and then she dropped her fangs into his neck. She did not have a lot to give at that moment, but she also knew that, despite what some humans may have thought, the act of biting from a vampire has the tendency to hit the pleasure receptors, after the initial prick pain. Therefore, she wanted to leave him something that would enhance the kiss. As she parted, he felt a little light headed, but nonetheless good. "When we get married," she said, "you will find out just how good this can be," as she licked off the few drops of blood off her lips and chin, and headed up the hill. Kenta entered the apartment, walking on air, when he bumped into his mother. She smiled at him knowingly. "You saw the whole thing, didn't you?" asked Kenta. He blushed, and then she looked at his neck, saying, "One thing is for sure—that girl knows how to leave a dynamite hickie!"

He then realized what she was talking about, and said, "Yeah, she's a bit of a biter," proverbially biting his own tongue in the process, thinking, "If you only knew!"

Not too many blocks away, in the park near Kenta's place, Yuriya made contact quickly, and she was relieved that it would not be an all night operation. As she laid her prey on the park bench nearby, and erased her memory, she heard laughter. "Who is that?" she demanded, "Where are you?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," said a sinister sounding voice.

"Was she a tasty one?" asked a second voice.

This was not good. She knew all of her kind in the city, and these were voices she did not recognize. Instinct told her to get into a public area and light, and she began to go, slowly at first, and then gained speed as she went. "Where are you going?" the voice asked, "It's early!"

She suddenly remembered what Jean-Claude had said; she lifted up the edges of her dress, and started to pick up her pace. She was back on the street that led to Kenta's place, and it was then they emerged from behind her. There were four of them, and they looked mean enough, and somewhat a bit distorted in appearance for vampires. All of them were carrying a sword of some kind or another. At this she immediately began to tap into her blood and picked up her pace quickly, and headed up the hill. At that point, Karin was in the family room with her parents, and was trying to shape how to mention to her father what Yuriya had told her. "You're awful quiet," said Calera, "Something on your mind?"

"Well, I…" and that is as far as she got. This was when she heard a primal scream rattle through her head, as did all the others. "HELP! MR. MARKER, HELP!"

About this time, Jean-Claude had a stone out, and was whetting his saber, when he was nearly floored by the scream. It came in his head, and echoed up the hill. "HELP ME—SOMEONE, ANYONE!"

He heard the steps coming up the old brick road that led to the top of the hill. He did not have to ponder long before he knew what was going on. Even Ren heard the scream, albeit distantly in his head. He knew where it was coming from, and immediately headed home. Elda was ripped out of her sleep by the scream, and she came up to see what the issue was. She came out on the porch at the same time as Henry and Calera. Karin and Anjou both tried to step out, but Henry told them to go back in. When they hesitated, they saw him get cross in a way that they had never seen before, as he thundered, "Do as I say!"

They did not need to be told again, and went back in. Yet, they went upstairs, and watched from an upstairs window. Jean-Claude already had his sword belt on and was on the move. Yuriya turned the corner, screaming her head off, sprinting up the walkway to the porch. "LET ME IN, LET ME IN!"

They let her past into the house, and the adults closed ranks. Not far behind her were four vampires, not being too shy on revealing what they were, and a bit grotesque. "You do not belong here!" thundered Henry, "Leave, or feel my wrath!"

The four stood silent for a few seconds, and then began to laugh. That is when Elda stepped up, and said, "Feel mine as well!"

Now they were not laughing. "You can't stop us," one of them snarled, "Tonight; we dine on your entrails!"

However, Henry was not listening, because, moments before, something that was moving rather quickly came from behind, and was making a beeline for the quartet. Just as that one made the statement, he screamed in pain and shock as he watched a saber emerge through his sternum, followed by a voice behind him, "Wrong—tonight, you dine in Hell!"

The sword was extracted, and swiftly removed the head from the neck of the braggart. The other three turned their attention to this intruder, but before they could react, Henry and Elda were already on top of two of them. The sound of clanging steel could be heard over the hilltop, and rapidly, as the accelerated pace of the vampires caused them to move in a blur. Quickly and deftly, Jean-Claude had the head off of the one he combated, and Elda was chopping up her opponent. Henry was faring well, but not well enough. It seemed that he was about to lose his fight, but Jean-Claude beheaded him as well, and the fight was over. Jean-Claude was exhausted, but he stood to give a proper sword salute to the Markers, and then collapsed to the ground. He crawled over to one of the fallen, and began to consume some of the blood, and quickly began to regain himself. When he was done, his fangs were fully extended, his eyes glowed, and he roared in primal pleasure. All this was happening as Ren came back. He could not believe the sight, especially the blood covered young man he had been trying to intimidate but days before, fangs bared eyes aglow. "That was you that night," said Ren, and Jean-Claude nodded. "Did you leave me anything?" asked Ren.

"Only bodies," answered Jean-Claude.

Jean-Claude then heaped the bodies, told everyone to go to the porch, reached out his hand, and ignited the bodies. The three girls inside could not believe what they had just seen, but some were more surprised than others. For Anjou, she knew what he could do, after having observed him in action through one of her bats. For Yuriya, she had no idea that a d'amphile could be so powerful. For Karin, she was in a slight state of shock, as everything began to come to her. This explained the sunglasses and sun block. He indeed had a genetic condition, and it had nothing to do with normal human frailties. Furthermore, she would never have put Jean-Claude together with what she had just observed. He seemed such a nice boy, and yet, here he stood, looking more like a warrior than a high school student. Henry motioned for everyone, including Jean-Claude to go into the house, and into the main room. It was now time for explanations. Karin then wondered if there were more to come, and wondered about Kenta's safety. Karin then asked her father if she could call Kenta, and have him bring his mother with him. Henry thought for a moment, and then said, "Yes, but, once his mother gets here, we must put her to sleep, and erase her memories. It is better that she remains ignorant of this."

She called Kenta, and explained the whole matter. She told him that there may be danger, and that he needed to go up to her at that moment, and told him to bring Fumio. He wanted an explanation, but she told him there was no time. All would be explained when he came.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter VI

Kenta somehow was able to get his mother to come with him after some hesitation from the sudden invitation. She decided to come, anxious that she would get to meet Karin's parents for the first time. They ascended the hill, and reached the fog bank. They passed into it, and Fumio instantly took Kenta's hand. For Kenta, the fog was not even there. He knew that this was the ward that Anjou had put up, and he was now immune to it. Fumio did not have this privilege. For her, all she could see was the fog, and could only feel Kenta's hand. "Oh, this fog," she said, "Kenta, don't let go of me, I'm scared."

"Don't worry, mother," said Kenta, "You'll be okay."

Just as he said that, Ren showed up right behind her. She barely had the sensation that someone had approached her when he touched her head, and she fell asleep in his arms. "Okay," said Ren, "she's asleep. Let's go."

"What happened?" asked Kenta.

"You'll see, and smell, soon enough," said Ren, as they ascended with Fumio in the arms of Ren.

Soon, they were above the fog bank, and it was then that Kenta first saw the funeral pyre, and smelled the horrible smell of burning human flesh. "Ugh! What happened here?" asked Kenta rethorically. They went down the walk, and entered the house.

Inside, all was quiet. One would have thought that someone near and dear had just died. Ren said, "Go in to the main room. Everyone's in there. I'll put her on Karin's bed for now."

When he went in, he saw everyone, including Elda and Yuriya, seated around the room, all staring at one person. Sitting on an easy chair hunched forward, head down, forearms on his thighs, wearing black military pants and boots, a belt and sword, and a blood stained brown tee shirt, was Jean-Claude D'Amphile. He wondered at first if he was in some kind of trouble. Then he had to ask himself again, because, if that were the case, Henry would never have let him bring the sword in. Kenta took a seat beside Karin, as Ren returned and sat by Anjou. "Well, stranger," said Ren, "everyone's here, so you'd better have a good explanation."

A slipper flew across the room and hit Ren upside the head, followed by Calera saying, "Ren, remember your manners! This young man saved our lives tonight."

She then looked over at him, and said, "However, you do need to explain what you are doing here in Tokyo without us knowing, how you got here, and why you are here. How you answer will determine what happens next."

However, Henry was not so sure that such veiled threats were needed, or if that would have done any good. If he had wanted, he could have hacked his way out, and there was little that he could have done to stop it. Jean-Claude detected the sense of some still remaining distrust, and as a show of peace, he took off his sword belt, and slid everything out of immediate reach. "Now we are going to see who can trust who," he said, and proceeded to tell his tale. "The name I go by is Jean-Claude D'Amphile, though that is not my real last name—its Madore. I am sure you all already know the meaning of the last name I use."

"It's an older way of saying what you are," said Elda, "but I assume that this is what you are."

Jean-Claude hung his head and said, quietly, "Yes."

Elda could not believe what she was seeing. This was the second d'amphile she had ever met, and she wondered just how many more there were. "Oh no," said Ren, "Another half-breed."

Yuriya looked up and glared at Ren. Ren returned the stare, but said nothing. Yuriya got up and went to Jean-Claude. She pulled him back and began to knead his shoulders, saying, "It's okay—bat brain here needs to learn to curb his tongue."

He seemed ready to get up and say something, but an angry glare from Jean-Claude backed him off. Ren did not know how easy it would be to take him, because he was indeed strong in his abilities, so he did not push it. Henry said, "All right, everyone, there is no time for this posturing. Someone who saved our lives deserves more than the way you are treating him. Son, are there any more?"

"I have no idea," he said, "Until I met Yuriya, I thought I was alone. I have heard rumors that there are a couple of others, but I don't know."

"Why can't some vampires just learn that the two world cannot mix," said Elda, knowing Kenta was listening. She still did not care for the arrangement between her granddaughter and Kenta, and still had a problem with d'amphiles. However, Calera, though she seemed hollow and crass, still had a good heart, and said, "I find this odd coming from you."

"Humans betray, and humans hate!" snapped Elda, "I still cannot trust them, not after what happened to me!"

Calera was about to say something, but Jean-Claude was up like a shot, and Yuriya jumped out of the way, not knowing what was to happen next. The chair went sliding on the floor as he shoved it aside. His eyes began to glow, and his fangs extended, as he thundered, "How can you hate like that when you know what it's like to be hated? How dare you!"

Elda took that as a challenge, and started to stand. Henry, on the other hand, actually sided with Jean-Claude, and tried to calm the situation. However, Calera was a bit more forceful, and said, "Mother Marker, sit down! He is not Yuriya, and by the looks of him, he would rip you apart! Now Jean-Claude, you have to calm down…"

But he interrupted, and growled more than he spoke, as he said, "None of you have any idea what it is like to have to run from everyone, to have no home, no haven to flee to, to be hated and despised by every sentient creature on the face of the earth, and all because of something that was not your fault. I didn't ask to be born, much less to be born like this. DO YOU THINK I WANT THIS? DO YOU THINK I ASKED FOR THIS?"

His voice started to tremble, and he started to return to normal, saying, "Do you think that somehow, before I was born, I reached out to the heavens and said, 'Yeah, make me one of those! It would be so much fun making people hate me everywhere I go.'"

His voice really quieted and quivered, as he said, "Why does this always happen? Why can't I find peace?"

He collapsed to his knees, and began to bawl uncontrollably. Karin felt a surge in herself. She stood up and moved to the corner of the room to avoid her blood rising any further. Yuriya went over and knelt beside him, putting her arms around him, rocking him back and forth, her chin on his shoulder, feeling more for someone than she had ever felt before. She had been fortunate, having been raised by her uncle, another vampire, who prevented much from happening to her that had happened to Jean-Claude. She did not know what to say, so she said nothing, just letting her actions speak for her. Suddenly, Anjou got up, and stood before Jean-Claude, with the most accusing eyes. She said, "In my short time on this earth, I have seen more hate than I care to have, and more from our kind than from humans. If it were not for humans, Karin would still be having problems in school, and I may not be here now. If it were not for a classmate protecting me on two occasions, I may have been fried to death by the sun. Karin and Kenta have taught me how to love, and take people one-on-one. Can anyone say that Maki is evil? Could anyone say that Fumio would not accept us if told the truth correctly? Victor and Wiener have changed for the better. Every human that we have brought into our world the right way has become our ally. Now here we have two examples of how our kind and theirs could mix, and yet you treat them as sub-creatures. Ren, you owe him, and you know it. I owe him. He saved me from risking exposure, though he did not realize that that was what he was doing. Now, he has saved our family, and all you can do is hate him, grandmother? Why? Mother, father, I am so glad you taught me how not to hate."

The air of conviction filled the room, and all were at a loss on what to say. Anjou went over to him, and said, "Thank you so much, big brother," and hugged him. He scooped her up, and said through sobs, "Oh, God bless you, child! With those around like you, there is hope."

Yuriya now included Anjou in her embrace, and Elda and Ren sat there ashamed. Henry sat beside Calera, and Calera was showing open affection on the arm of Henry—something that she did not often publicly do. Karin let out a gag, with all the unhappiness in the room, and Kenta saw it. "Karin," he said has he went over and took her out to the back porch, "Don't hold it in."

He sat down on a padded bench in the back, and let her do what she needed. In fifteen minutes, both were back in, after Kenta has come to. By this point, Jean-Claude collected himself, put the chair back, and sat down again. However, now Yuriya was seated on the arm, stroking his hair. Anjou was seated on the other arm. Calera then said, "How did all this happen?"

"Get ready for a story," he said.

"Father was human, mother was the vampire. When my father was a Marine officer, he did a lot of night work. In fact, to keep his metabolism straight, he even lived at nights on the weekends. That's how he met Shelia—my mother. She was a vampire with a taste in brave and courageous people, and my father was indeed that. At first, she only thought him a good meal, like most vampires would have. She erased his memory every time she fed. However, because of the person she was—because of the _person_ that she was—he fell madly in love with her. He was a solid Christian man, and always treated her like a lady. He was indeed an officer and a gentleman in every respect. At first, she resisted his advances, both because he was a human, and also because of his faith. However, he never took advantage of her, and never even tried to kiss her—he felt it better two people be married first. Anyway, she kept seeing more of him, and wondered how it was that he could stay happy and courageous despite having to live at night, and endure the hardships of a military man. When she finally understood what it was, she could not help but give her life to the Lord. Can you imagine that—a vampire giving her life to the Lord? This was something that he had hoped for all along. Now she wanted to see him constantly. Other vampires did not say anything about her beliefs, because, as you know, everyone makes their own choices, even as vampires. However, they did frown upon the advances that she was now making. Then, even as now, marriage was not something of love, but for the propagation of the species. Because of too many vampires having the idea of survival as their central focus, love often takes a back seat. That is so wrong."

"Really," said Ren, "And just what is love?"

Jean-Claude thought for a moment, and he said, "My mother insured that I memorized these words as a small boy, so that I would never forget how to love: Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have no love, I am become as a sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I would have all faith that I could move mountains, and had all power, that I could understand all mysteries, and all knowledge, and have no love, I am nothing. And though I would give over all my goods to feed the poor, and give my body over to be burned, and have no love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long, and is kind. Love envies not, vaunts not itself, and is not puffed up. Rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love NEVER fails."

After about a minute's silence, as the words were sinking in, he said, "In short, true love is something that gives completely of itself, and expects absolutely nothing in return. One can be in love, but until that love has been tested in some way, one can never be sure if the feeling truly is love. Love is a verb—an action word. You can say it, but do you show it? If love is love, then no matter what one does to another, love will still be there, and it will mend any rift. That, my friends, is love."

There was another minute of silence, except this time, everyone was reflecting on moments where that kind of thing had been shown to them. Certainly, Karin knew her father loved her, after what he risked to save her and them from discovery. He never asked anything from her in return. She knew Kenta loved her, because he was willing to put all on the line for her, from his neck to his life. Fumio showed love to Kenta with all the sacrifices she had made. Her little sister certainly had shown this. She began to tear up, to bury her head in Kenta's chest, and said, "I love you!"

He held her tight, and concurred his love to her. Calera and Henry were arm and arm now, realizing that, though they had been betrothed, they had been through a lot, and had learned to love one another. Karin then looked at Elda, and tears were streaming down her face. Alfred had shown this to her, as did James Marker. She knew James loved everyone—human or vampire. Though it was never demanded of her, she never did show much in return. Now she sat with great regrets, especially since her taste in blood was indeed love, and she wondered how many lives she may have shattered. On the other hand, she did indeed provide the test for some, so, in a way, it was helpful. However, could she have shown more love? Ren sat stoically, seemingly unmoved, but inwardly knowing that all the love he had been shown growing up he should have learned from himself. Meanwhile, Yuriya was beginning to feel things that she never knew that she could, especially for the one in the chair spinning the tale.

Jean-Claude then said, "I digress. Things got worse when they actually married. Dad was close to retiring from the corps, and he had been so used to living at night that continuing to do so was no problem for him now. There were some protests at the council, but it was permitted. However, there seemed to be an up-tick in 'incidents' involving my parents. They were able to live, but they were always on their toes. Things came to a head when mom became pregnant with me. Now 'incidents' became 'accidents.' They were trying to kill me before I was even born. Essentially, my birth would make me a living example that our two worlds could get along, although the offspring of this kind of a marriage results in a d'amphile being sterile. Yet, that could change with Karin here. I know that the vampire population has had a jump since her blood has been going out all over the world. Yet, no one has ever thought about us, because there are so few of us. Regardless, you combine that with my life, and maybe we all could get along. However, because of the ones that existed then as now, who, because of prejudice and cowardice, would never permit it, my life has never been normal. As soon as I was born, some vampire who was working as a nurse tried to kill me in the cradle, but she was caught, and she fled. I represented what could have been good, and some did not want anyone to know that. By this point, dad was out of the corps, but we were then on the run. We met up with my grandfather, and began to live in the wilderness. Through him, I gained the ability to survive on the land and the sea. However, feeding mom was a chore. She had to go from one local village to another to avoid detection. She had to feed. Dad could only give her so much. Grandfather did most of my schooling, but for the first ten years of my life, it was rough, but it was the most peaceful time. I never knew hate, never was taught how to hate, I was taught to love people and respect the land, and I was always taught to see the best in people, unless they have proven that they are reprobate."

Karin had to ask, "What happened when you turned ten?"

Jean-Claude's face sank, and he had to wipe away a tear before he spoke. "If it's too painful, please, don't." said Karin.

"No," he said, "A man must be able to face the past with strength. It helps him look at the future, to know the way he must go. It was spring in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. There were a few towns near enough for mother to feed, and for me to attend school. We had built a cabin deep in the darkest parts of the woods in case mother had to get up during the day. For about four years, things were bliss. We figured that we were far enough away from everything to not be found. It all came apart. Granddad was bringing me home from school, and I had not yet awakened. In fact, they were not even sure that I would awaken, because there was at least a 33% or 34% chance that I was a normal human, though with recessive vampire traits that I might pass on. There was no knowing at that time. Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes, school: we were coming back, and stopped in town for a few things. The sun had set by the time we got off the main roads to go to the house, and about three cars showed up around us. After playing chicken for a bit, they ran us off the road. I was okay, but Grandfather was hurt. I tried to help him, but he told me to get out and get to the house. I begged him to let me help, but he practically threw me out of the car. I tore into the woods, and it was at that time that some of my abilities were coming to the fore. It seemed I could "see" the branches, but it was more a sonar than anything else. I never knew what happened to granddad's body. I got to the house, but I did not realize that they were right on my heels. I burst into the house, saying all that had happened, and Dad didn't even flinch. He went to the closet and pulled out an old M-14 assault rifle he had been keeping for this occasion. He tossed me a long Bowie knife, and we were out the door, just as the Molotov cocktails smashed through the windows. We were making our way well enough for a while, until we were trapped. Dad loaded the rifle, and mowed down a few to create a space for my mother and me. She kissed him, took my hand, and we were gone. I heard shots for a while, and then they were gone. Eventually, they caught up to us, and my mother gave her life to allow me to escape. They almost had me, when help arrived."

Looking around the room, the story was having an effect. Elda was behind her chair on the floor, clutching herself, crying uncontrollably. Karin was balling, as Kenta was trying to console her, hoping her blood would stay down with all the unhappiness in the room. Ren was in shock, not knowing people could be so cruel. Calera was holding Henry's arm, wiping away some tears, while Henry kept a serious but saddened look on his face. Yuriya was now on her knees beside the chair, resting her head on his arm as she cried, and Anjou, though not one for emotional outbursts, still sat there silently, but with tears rolling down her face. Jean-Claude continued, "They tried to thrust in a blade, but I was good with that knife, and cut up a few of them. However, I had no idea what I was facing, and they eventually got a hold of me to try and finish me. However, the one preparing to drive home his blade suddenly found his head off of his shoulders. Before they knew it, they had been overwhelmed by about nine individuals that I could not make out at that time. All I knew at that moment is that they pulled me out of that mess, and got me out of there. Later on, I came to find out that these were a band of vampires that lived in the woods, and had developed a taste for animal blood. They had been observing my family, and feared something like that may happen. Since it was their territory, they did not take kindly to these outsider vampires coming in trying to exact a justice—if you could call it that—without them knowing. They knew my mother did not know that they had been there, so she did not report in as she should have, although at this point, I don't know if she would have anyway, not knowing who to trust. These vamps took me in and raised me as their own. For five years they educated and trained me, not just in fighting and survival, but in my blood abilities once I awakened. They loved the fact that I found my taste was in those that were evil. This was when I met a certain group of vampire hunters that had seen the error of their ways. They now hunted renegades, kind of what we saw tonight. These are the ones that cause all the bad reputation for us amongst the regular humans, and cause the fear and myths that are known in popular culture. These are the ones I combat. I also have had the chance to reform a few vampire hunters, and now they hunt those that I hunt. Those are the ones that need to be stopped. Anyway, I was allowed to go to school again, but I have moved from place to place. I was able to get the inheritance that was due me, and just recently, I have received the funds that will now let me live independently."

"What brings you to Japan?" said Calera.

"This was a really fresh start for me," he answered, "because I knew there were many vampires that lived here, and I could find a niche. However, I also had come to learn of the blood maker in Japan, and I also knew that there was trouble upcoming dealing with that, so I was sent here to try to fight the renegades, and then settle down and just protect one area if I could, all while trying to have somewhat of a normal life."

Henry took note of this, and said, "What is it about my daughter?"

"First," he answered, "I had no idea I would run right into her. Second, there are some out there that think the blood of a blood maker, mixed in with the right chemicals and rituals would turn vampires into something godlike. That is highly doubtful. Yet, because legends persist, there are those that would love to try and put it to the test. Thus, I have come to help put a stop to them."

"That was the conversation that you and Victor were having a few days ago, wasn't it?" asked Karin.

"In fact, you are correct," he answered, "I need all the help I can get."

"I must get word to the council," said Henry.

"Wait," said Jean-Claude, "Do so, but not just yet. We cannot let on that we are aware of someone's intentions. We have to know exactly what we are up against before we act. Once the time comes, we can put an end to things."

Strangely enough, Anjou asked, "Do you have anything left to remind you of your family?"

Jean-Claude went up and retrieved the saber, and said, "When I went back to the house, there was nothing left that survived it but this."

He tossed it on the table for all to see. He said, "It is a Marine Corps officer's saber. This was not some replica dress blade, but the real thing. Its watered steel, laser and diamond sharpened. It has been the sword that represented swift justice against evil and tyranny for over 200 years. This is all that I have to remind me of my father or mother."

Everyone was at a loss for what to say. He had faced a cruel life, and was able to keep from being bitter. Guessing at what may have been the problem, Jean-Claude then said, "Life handed me a bunch of lemons, so I have done all that I can to make lemonade out of it. I cannot change what happened then, but I can change things from this day forward."

Henry felt that it was only proper for him to say what he was going to say, "Son, on behalf of all the good vampires in the world, I extend my deepest condolences, and I truly apologize for all that has happened. I know that won't ever change what happened, but I want you to know that you have friends here," and he hugged him.

Elda came up, still in tears, and said, "I have been such a fool all these centuries. Thank you, son, you taught me how to love again," and she embraced him. Anjou was around his waist, and Ren stood up and said, "Just keep your word. If you are the man you claim to be, I know that this family will be safe with you around."

Jean-Claude did not push it knowing that this was as close to an apology that he would ever get from Ren. However, he knew the man had potential. By this point everyone was in a group hug around him. Karin knew that it was he that she had linked up with mentally in that nightmare, and realized that he needed what he had now more than anything. For the first time in years, Jean-Claude felt a warmth and love he had so dearly missed. He did not know if it was the case, but he felt he may just have the family he always wanted.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter VII

Once all was done, Jean-Claude said, "Well, I have to go and get some rest. I have to break camp and prepare to get a normal place to live, and then there is the Rugby match tomorrow night."

"Break camp?" asked Henry, "Have you been living outdoors?"

"Well, that was just until I could get a place, once the money came in," he answered, "Oh, that's right, I have to go to customs and get my animals. Man, its going to be a long day tomorrow."

"What kind of animals, big brother?" said Anjou.

He chuckled a bit, and said, "You're going to love this Anjou: bats!"

Everyone said, "Bats?"

"Yep," he said smiling, "I have about four, and three are trained. I use them to give presentations about how beneficial an animal they are. One of them, though, is my personal pet, and familiar."

"What kinds, big brother?" asked Anjou.

"I knew that would catch your attention," said Jean-Claude, "I have a large brown, a small brown, a Mexican Free Tail, and my buddy Bruce—an Australian Flying Fox!"

"I would like to meet Bruce," said Anjou.

"And, if I am permitted to come again," he said, "I will most certainly let you meet him: he is such a love!"

"You are most certainly welcome here," said Calera, "as is Yuriya. By the way, where have you been camping out?"

Jean-Claude locked up, trying to figure out how to answer without lying. Before he answered, Anjou "manned up," and said what had happened. "The night he saved me," she said, "he needed a place to stay. I already knew what he was, and he had indeed earned my trust. I knew he needed the safest place possible, so I let him up here, off the property."

"He's been up here the whole time?" snapped Calera.

"That's why I was able to respond so quickly," he said, but Calera was now angry. "Why didn't you say anything?" she thundered, ready to bring a slipper down on the head of Anjou.

"After what I have seen tonight," she said, "my reasons were justified. If he came and went without you ever knowing, then no harm would have been done. As it is, if he had not come, how would it have gone tonight?"

Anjou always had a way with words, and now they hit like a ton of bricks. To better defend her, he said, "When she spotted me up here, she took a stick and marked the limit to the property, she told me that far and no further. I honored that request. I am also thankful that I had a place to stay, and could save some funds until the money came in."

"Well, what's done is done," said Henry, "It seems our little one had our better interests at heart."

Jean-Claude slapped his thighs and said, "Well, I guess I'd better call it a night and get some rest so I can break camp early…"

Henry stepped up and put his hand on his shoulder and said, "No, you are breaking camp tonight, and sleeping here. I owe you that much."

Jean-Claude looked around, laughed, and said, "Okay, I'm sleeping here!"

He then looked at Kenta, and said, "Hey, do you want to help me break camp?"

"Sure," he said, and they went out.

As they were tearing down and packing, they talked, and Kenta said, "I should have noticed those things."

"What things?" asked Jean-Claude?

"You know," said Kenta, "The sunglasses, the fangs, though they are not as prominent. I've been around this for a couple of years."

"Funny about that," said Jean-Claude, and then he asked, "So, how much of your powers have you learned about?"

"My powers—what do you mean?"

"Well, you are Karen's G'hul, aren't you?"

"Ghoul?" asked Kenta, "What do you mean by that!"

"Not g-h-o-u-l," said Jean-Claude, "g apostrophe h-u-l."

"I'm not sure I follow you."

Jean-Claude smacked his forehead, and said, "Ah, that's right—g'huls are rarely used anymore by standard vampires."

"Do you want to try that in Japanese?"

"At one time, vampires, that wanted to protect their turf and havens during the day would find one, or a few, humans they could trust, and used them. What they did was fed them vampire blood, which allowed enhancements of the human in order to protect the vampire during the day. It did not take much."

"They _drank_ blood?"

"They drank _vampire_ blood—big difference! However, they never let the human get more than what was necessary, lest they become as powerful as their masters."

"What's your point?"

"Well, normally, the g'hul was not altered outwardly, and was pretty much normal. Yet, if the vampire was evil, his blood had a tendency to mutate the blood receiver, and make them hideous. However, that is not the case with you. Yet, in either case, there was a great benefit that could help you with your relationship with Karin."

"What is that?"

"You know that she is very nearly immortal, as long as she can get—or in this case—distribute blood, right?"

"Don't remind me! That hangs over me like…how do they say it in English…the sword of Damocles?"

"That's what they say, all right."

"Are you saying that there is something to that?"

"Well, it is an advantage, with one slight drawback. As long as you receive vampire blood, you will live forever as well. The drawback comes when you have well passed the age where you should have been dead. If you are cut off from vampire blood, and you run out of it in your system, like a vampire would, you would shrivel up and die. If you were so cut off, it would be about 48 hours or so, and you would be gone. However, as long as you receive the blood, you live. In Karin's case, the odds of that happening are slim. Thus, if she dies, you die, unless another vampire takes you in. However, if she does, then you going would not be such a bad thing anyway. I mean, I would not want to go on without my ladylove."

"So, Karin and I could be together forever?"

"That's the potential. Plus, because of the amount of blood in your system, you are actually quite powerful. In fact, because of what she is, you have more of her blood running in your veins than your own! You have established a symbiosis. You two cannot live without each other."

"We're going to have to tell them that."

"We can take care of that once I get settled in for the night."

Kenta began to ponder this, and as far as he was concerned Karin was now the best thing that ever happened in his life in many wonderful ways.

Once they got inside, Henry said, "Well, we moved…something…into Ren's room, because it was the only thing we had. We have no spare beds."

"What is it, then?" asked Jean-Claude.

"Um…it's a coffin," said Henry.

"Oh," said Jean-Claude softly, "Well, I guess it will have to do. I can just leave the lid off, and stuff my bedroll in there. Still, kind of creepy, though."

Jean-Claude then had to ask, "So, am I to assume your homeland was France?"

"What gives you that impression?" asked Henry.

"It's your younger daughter's name," said Jean-Claude, "I'm sure that, here, in Japan, her name is pronounced 'Ann-Jew.' Yet, I do believe that the letter 'J' is pronounced like the 'J' in my first name. _C'est correct, no?_"

"_Oui__, c'est tres correct_," answered Henry, in French.

"That's what I thought," said Jean-Claude, "Thus, it's not Henry, and it's Henri, (as he dropped the "H"")

"And I could deduce that you are French as well?" asked Henry, "I mean, your name is _very_ French."

"French-Canadian," said Jean-Claude, "Though I was born and raised in America."

Jean-Claude snapped his fingers, and then said, "Oh yeah! Kenta and I were talking…" and he relayed all of which they had spoke. This caught the attention of everyone else. Karin then said, "So, what you are saying is, because of him volunteering his neck to me…"

"You have made him quite powerful," finished Jean-Claude.

"G'hul—that's a term that I haven't heard in ages," said Elda, "Then, he ends up being more of a benefit to her, and us, than we realized."

"Give me some time," said Jean-Claude, "and I can teach both him—and Karin—how to use their abilities."

"I don't have any," said Karin.

"Nonsense," said Jean-Claude, "Because your blood is so different, you just have not learned how to use it right. I can help you."

"You can?" said Calera, anxiously.

"I can start anytime after tomorrow, if you like," said Jean-Claude.

"It's a deal," said Calera, very quickly.

He looked around and said, "Well, it's been a fun evening, so, I am going to retire for the night, and I'll see you tomorrow. I hoe that you all come to the match tomorrow. We need all the support that we can get."

"It's a night game?" asked Henry?

"Yes."

"We shall be there," said Henry, and they all said good-night.

As Ren helped get Kenta's mother home, a family discussion began to break out. While this was going on, Jean-Claude went upstairs to Ren's room, and saw the coffin. He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling real awkward. "I feel like I'm preparing my own funeral!" he muttered to himself, as he laid out the roll inside the coffin, and slipped in. Surprisingly, it felt comfortable enough that he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. As all this was going on, Ren was returning from Kenta's place, getting ready to get involved with the discussion before he went out to feed. However, as he was going up the hill, he saw a somewhat grotesque little man trying to amble off after being caught on the hill. Before he could run, Ren had him by the neck, and brought him above the fog line. He brought him to the now smoldering pile of bones on the lawn, and set the thing down, still restrained. By reading his aura, he realized that this was an altered human. By Jean-Claude's description, this was someone's g'hul, and, more than likely, the one that worked for the one that sent them. He then looked the thing right in the eye, and said to him, "Have you ever wanted to see your own heart?"

With his enhanced vampire strength, he plunged his hand right into Nikoli's chest, and ripped out his still beating heart. He handed it to him, patted him on the head, and then set him on fire, all before he could scream. He then kicked the burning body on the fire in disgust. There was no way that he was going to give any word on what happened here. Too many lives were at stake.

The next morning, Ren came in to rest in his own coffin, saw Jean-Claude asleep in the other coffin. He found the sight amusing, and watched as he awoke. "Let me tell you something," said Ren, "you have no idea how natural you looked in that thing."

Jean-Claude laughed and said, "I don't know whether or not I should feel insulted or complimented."

He then said, "Did Yuriya get home alright?"

"She's fine," said Ren, "and my father is soon to go to bed, but he and mother would like to have a word with you, if that's possible."

"Fine," he said, "I'll try not to disturb you when I get my things."

He went downstairs, and saw the couple sitting there, waiting for him. "You wanted to see me?" asked Jean-Claude.

"Yes," said Calera, "Please, sit down."

He sat down, and she said, "We had a long discussion while you slept. You have never had a family or a real home, have you?"

"Only for those four years I spoke of," said Jean-Claude, "and that was shaky at best."

"Well," said Henry, "since we are the chiefs here in Tokyo, it is our discretion on who stays here in the city, and where they are allowed to live. Son, you have seen pains and trials that not even vampires could dare to speak of. You only move because of persecution, right?"

"Persecution," he answered, "need, or both, really."

"Son, it's time you stopped running," said Calera, "You deserve better than what you have gotten. You need something stable. You may be as immortal as us, but you are still too young to be out trying to make it on your own. Because of, well, not only the good you have done us, but also because of how you have awoken us to the truth, and because of the good news about Karin and her beau, how could we put you out?"

"What are you saying?" asked Jean-Claude, a bit trepadatious.

"When we next see the council," said Henry, "we are going to see about making you Jean-Claude Marker."

"Are you saying you want to adopt me?" said Jean-Claude, with tears of joy just beginning to well up.

"Welcome home, son!" said Henry, and embraced him.

"Father, mother!" he said, and began to cry like a baby. Calera, not known for emotional outbursts, joined the embrace, and kissed him. Karin, who had just awoken, watched through the crack of the door, smiled, and wiped a tear or two. Calera said, "Karin should be up soon, and she can make you some breakfast. Then you can go retrieve your bats. We do have a spare room, and you're welcome to it."

"Thank you," he said, "although I hope you don't mind me getting a bed. Yet, odd thing is, it almost felt natural to sleep in that coffin."

"That's instincts for you," said Henry, "And now, if you will excuse us, we shall be retiring."

"Sleep well," said Jean-Claude, and they went to bed. Meanwhile, Jean-Claude began to grow in joy every instant, but stifling his joy lest he awaken everyone. He resolved himself to just jumping around the room, feeling wanted and truly loved for the first time in his life. He then went to get cleaned up, and ready to face the day.

They were able to retrieve the bats with no problem, and they were very glad to get out of their cramped cages. Bruce took to Karin right away and really proved himself to be as affectionate as Jean-Claude had said. They returned to the house, and allowed them to roost with the rest of Anjou's bats. He knew that they would come at his call. They then caught up with Kenta, and they were able to secure a bed. That night, he was so pumped up for the game; he was practically the entire team. The opposition did not know what had hit them. He was extremely vicious on defense, putting a couple of players out of the game. His team had the lead with moments to go, but the opposition was inching closer and closer to the goal line with each phase of play. The ruck then formed one yard from the line, and the scrum half decided that he was going to try to go over the top. Unfortunately for him, this reminded Jean-Claude too much of an American football game, and he met the scrum half partway. It was not just that he hit him hard that dislodged the ball. He was so pumped up for the game, he actually vamped out a slight bit when he went for the tackle, putting the fear of God into the opponent, and he did not so much as lose the ball as it was that he tried to throw it away—anything to get away from what was coming! When this happened, Jean-Claude's comrades scooped up the loose ball and went coast to coast, sealing the victory. The whole family was in the stands, as well as Maki, Kenta, Wiener, and Yuriya, who was wearing the home team jersey. When it was over, he met up with everyone as they congratulated him on a fine win. For Jean-Claude, he was on cloud nine, and not just because they had won. For some, this would be a normal Norman Rockwell kind of moment. For Jean-Claude, he dreamed of moments like this, and savored them, because they had been few and far in between. He was ecstatic that there would be more of these in time.

Meanwhile, Boris awaited word angrily. Nikoli had not even returned from the probing mission. Perhaps he underestimated Marker, and that which he was capable. There was no way of knowing. He would have to take his time. As long as vampires lived, he knew that, if it took centuries, he would get the blood cow. He would milk her for all she was worth.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter VIII

Early Sunday morning, Karin was deep in a peaceful dream. It was her on her honeymoon with Kenta, on some beach known only to her fantasies, feeling the warmth and peace of a new life having begun. Somewhere, in the background, she heard Anjou's voice singing _Love Song for a Vampire_, as if it were a movie soundtrack. The sun was setting, the temperature was perfect, and the love in the air was electric. Eventually, the two stopped, faced each other, and their eyes met. The feeling at that instant transcended the spoken word, as they closed, and prepared to have their lips meet. Suddenly, Jean-Claude hopped up out of nowhere, and shouted at them, "Drop your locks and grab your socks, sunshine, we got work to do!"

She looked over in shock at his beaming face and sunglasses, and fell out of bed. "Honestly, sis, you have to be more on your toes!" said Jean-Claude, "Kenta and Yuriya are downstairs waiting, as is breakfast. Let's get to it; we've got work to do."

She wanted to get angry, but then remembered that they had all agreed to work on their abilities that day. She just did not like his timing. "Ugh!" she uttered, trying to get the sleep out of her eyes, "You just had to interrupt the sweetest dream!"

"You have plenty of other nights for that, sis," he said, "It's time to take your next step in your growth as a vampire today."

As they made their way downstairs, Karin then asked, "You said Yuriya was downstairs, why?"

"When I told her," he answered, "She said that she needed all the practice she could get as well, so, I said for her to tag along."

"Then, who's cooking breakfast?" she asked, as more life came to her.

"That would be Yuriya," said Jean-Claude.

"Wow!" said Karin, "She's really going out of her way!"

"She's a friend, isn't she?" asked Jean-Claude, "Isn't that what friends do?"

"I guess so," Karin conceded, "But, what's this 'sis' business all of a sudden?"

"Well, _mon cheri_," said Jean-Claude, "is that not what it's supposed to be now? Am I not family now?"

"Hmm," said Karin, "I forgot about that. It seems awkward, but I guess I'll get used to it."

They walked into the kitchen to a full breakfast spread. The other two were there, as well as Bruce, hanging over the table on the light fixture, munching on half of an orange that he held between his wings. Jean-Claude took a big whiff and said, "Oh yeah, now that's what I'm talking about."

Yuriya smiled, and blushed a bit over his comment on her breakfast. They all sat down, but just as they were all about to dive in, Jean-Claude bowed his head, and said, "Thank you, Lord, for this food and fellowship. Let it nourish our minds and bodies, and help it to energize the work we do today, in Jesus' name, amen."

That took everyone off guard, but they then remembered what his beliefs were, and took it with stride. However, after he did that, there seemed to be a good spirit in the room. They could only then share good things and good anecdotes. What Kenta and Karin found interesting was how Yuriya seemed to be doting just a bit over Jean-Claude. She seemed to want to everything for him, and he took it in stride. It was possible that she was just trying to be a good hostess, but it was obvious to the pair what was going on. She was falling head over heels for Jean-Claude, and it did not seem such a subtle thing. Jean-Claude spoke up and said, "Okay, today, we are going to try some basic things, and see how well you do. If you can perfect these, we can go to more advanced stuff. Get a good fill, because you are going to be expending a lot of energy, as well as blood. Hopefully, Karin, you will have enough to energize Kenta later, because he will be expending it today."

"I don't understand," said Karin.

"All that the vampire and d'amphile can do supernaturally is by the grace of God, and by blood," said Jean-Claude, "The Bible declares that, 'In the blood is life,' and that was the reason for blood sacrifice—to note how serious penance is. However, I know it also forbids the drinking of blood, yet, we are not normal men and women either. We were made differently. We are not mentioned, but here we are. For us, it is quite the opposite. The blood is not just holding life, for us, it is our life. Believe me, I've put a lot of prayer to this, and I believe God has made peace with this to me, telling me that, because I am not a normal man, things are different. There are just certain reasons why God does what He does that are beyond our understanding, and he has allowed us this, so, I just don't question—I accept it for what it is. Yet, for us, we have been granted the ability to use that blood, so, just embrace it. It's what we are."

He heard a soft squeal above him, and he just stuck out his hand and caught the falling orange rind without even looking up. He then grabbed a napkin, threw it up into the air, and it did not come down. When they looked, they saw that Bruce was wiping his face with it. With another squeal, the napkin dropped, and Jean-Claude caught it again without a look. Apparently, this was a normal routine with these two. "All right," he said, "Let's get cleaned up and get to work."

Karin excused herself to get ready while the rest cleaned up the kitchen. When they all got outside, they picked a spot away from the house, in a clearing, to do their work.

"First," he said, "we are going to work on enhancing our physical attributes. A vampire has the ability to do everything at a higher speed and strength than the normal mortal. This goes for anything you do. The first thing we are going to try is going from one end of the clearing to the other and back again as fast as we can. Watch me."

He wasn't moving at the speed of sound, but he did cross it rather rapidly, leaving a wedge of leaves in his wake. He got back, and then said, "Now, for things right near by," and shifted position in a blink, "we can move," sifted again, "in an instant."

"How did you do that," said Kenta in amazement.

"It is very simple," he said, "Just concentrate on shifting your energy to your legs, your blood will go there, and you will experience a very controlled experience of E=mc squared—your blood turning to energy. Because it is vampire blood, it is high octane."

"I've tried that," said Karin, "but it doesn't work for me."

"Well, almost everything works to the opposite for you, right?" asked Jean-Claude.

"I guess so," she said.

"Then," he said, "You need to concentrate on your marrow, and the mother blood cells in there, and see if you cannot create the blood you need."

"I don't get it," she said.

"It seems to me," said Jean-Claude, "that, since you create blood, you always have an excess, but some times more than others, right?"

"Well, that is true," she said, "but…"

"And…" continued Jean-Claude, "knowing what its main purpose is, there is something instinctively that says that you have to preserve it, and thus does not allow its use."

"Well that makes sense, but…" said Karin, but Jean-Claude cut in again, "But, there has to be something to this. Whereas other vampires have to gather blood to do what they do, you don't. Whereas they cannot create it, you can. Therefore, where they cannot will blood into themselves, you should be able."

She then stared at him, thinking she was getting it, but she still wasn't sure. "It's like this," he said, "Because of the need of your blood; it should not be that you have to be near your blood taste for you to create it more rapidly, unless that is around. Because of that need, it should be that you can create it at will if need be. Therefore, concentrate on your heartbeat. Go ahead."

She closed her eyes, and he said, "Now concentrate on doing something that seems out of reach for you—that you just could not do. In this case, it's running fast."

She did, and then he added, "Has there ever been a time where you felt helpless, and you could not do anything about it?"

She stopped and looked at Jean-Claude, saying, "Come to think of it, yes!"

"What happened?" he asked.

"I thought that my family had been killed by a hunter, my blood rose because of the feeling of loss, and I…well…how do you Americans say it? I 'wigged out.'"

"You can say that again!" said Kenta, but he found an elbow in his gut from Karin, as she said, very blankly, "Not one of my better moments, babe!"

"I think you have something there, Karin," said Jean-Claude, "You don't have to go to that extreme, but if you could control it, you may have your answer. All you need is just a touch of that hopelessness, and there you go. You should feel the rise in your blood. When that happens, concentrate like I did on the task, and go for it."

"Okay," she said, "Here it goes."

She took a second, tried to conjure up a situation mentally where she needed to run, and could not. She then felt the blood surge, and they all saw her face begin to redden. "That' it!" shouted Jean-Claude, "Now go for it!"

She tore off like shot through a gun, and came back all excited, "I did it!"

She then started to do what Jean-Claude had done when he had returned. "I did it," she shifted, "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!" she shifted again, "I DID IT!"

All of this did not escape the view of Anjou, who was not asleep, but watching through one of her bats. "Very good, big sister," she said in her normal stoic way, and added, "Thank you, big brother."

She gave a gentle Mona Lisa smile, called her bat back, and curled up to sleep, knowing that her sister would finally awaken fully. Knowing the trouble that could be brewing, it would come in handy for her.

"Okay, Kenta, your turn," said Jean-Claude, "Just do like I did."

Kenta was still not sure about the whole thing, but he concentrated, and took off. However, he wasn't so sure about the stopping part, and crash landed on the other side of the clearing. Jean-Claude was over like a shot, and Kenta was holding his ankle. "A little hard to see at that speed," he said, "I didn't see the stump."

"Well, learning to focus can take a bit," he said, "because you are still in a mortal body, but that's okay. Not everyone gets it the first time."

He then checked out his ankle, and it appears that he fractured it. "I wasn't looking to get to this part of the lesson this soon," said Jean-Claude, "but you can also heal yourself. By the looks of it, you are going to need to learn this now. Concentrate on the blood rushing to that region converting to flesh and bone."

He began to do so, and suddenly, the pain went away. "Now, stand up," said Jean-Claude, and there was no pain. "See," he said, "Good as new."

Kenta looked at him in amazement, and Jean-Claude said, "You will be able to take bullets, push them out of your body, and heal right up."

He then looked at Kenta and said, "Come on, I'll race you back!" and they took off. It was a photo finish, but it was more for Kenta's sake, so that he could learn to control things better. Yuriya took a turn, and she was able to do better than she figured. "At least this time," she said, "I didn't have those things giving me 'motivation' to run!"

The next thing on the list was lifting. Jean-Claude was already strong, but with the blood, he was able to put forth the strength of ten men his size and strength. Kenta was almost crushed under a log that he lifted, but he collected himself. Karin put a touch too much in it, and flung it off the hill! They were glad it landed on the side where there was no human life whatsoever. They then messed around with force pushing, and it ended up in a pushing contest. They were all on the ground in time, laughing their fool heads off. Yuriya excused herself to prepare lunch as they practiced more, and went in to eat. Jean-Claude knew that they were going to need it, so he gave Yuriya the extra money needed to buy the groceries, and she made a spread. Kenta and Karin could not believe how much they were wolfing down, and Jean-Claude explained that they were burning blood like calories, and they needed to recharge, although he whispered to Karin, "And you are going to need to give him what he needs in your way later on!"

She looked at him knowingly, and now knew that she could now conjure up the blood needed for the job.

After lunch, they resumed. They learned about reading auras, and this was something that Karin was able to do when she had to release. Now, she could do it whenever she wanted. However, when it came time to ignite a fire, it was almost a disaster! Kenta was still trying to get control of things when he set a large part of the hill on fire. Jean-Claude was able to act quickly to snuff it out, and he was glad that the char was on the back side of the hill. "Okay, Kenta," said Jean-Claude as patiently as he could, "Let's not try that one again until you learn a bit more about control, okay?"

After the sun had set, the four of them were coming back to the porch, where Henry and Calera were sitting, watching the last of the training. "How did it go?" asked Henry.

"If it weren't for her blood making," said Jean-Claude, "You couldn't tell her apart from other vampires!"

Henry was up quickly and embraced his daughter, saying, "Honey, I am so proud of you."

Mother just smiled, and looked at her out of the corner of her eye, saying, "Its about time!"

Karin just smiled and glared back at her. However, in all that she did, she now had an excess of blood by default, and began to eye Kenta. He was standing at the edge of the porch, and began to seen Karin with that look on her face. Her eyes got that glow, her fangs extended as she smiled, and she felt _real frisky_! "Now, Karin, I think…" said Kenta, but that is all he got out. She tackled him, and they went tail over teakettle into the bushes! All Kenta got out was, "Karin, you have to…Ooh…oh!" and it got quiet. Yuriya looked in astonishment, but everyone else went about their business as if this was normal. Jean-Claude looked at her and said, "Hey, he needed it too."

He then began to feel pangs, and he realized that he must have used too much, and would need to hunt that night. He looked at Yuriya and said, "Are you hungry?"

She said, "A bit, but I'll grab a bite later."

"I'm going to get ready to hunt," said Jean-Claude to Henry.

"Can I come with you?" asked Henry.

"Do you have a sword?" asked Jean-Claude.

"I have a rapier," he said.

"Get a good disguise and your sword," said Jean-Claude, "because I think you are going to find plenty of proud people tonight. Just remember: wound, and do not kill. Leave them with the most horrible nightmare you can think of anytime they try to commit crime, or try to remember what happened. Is there anything you expect to find?"

"Maybe," said Henry, and they prepared to go.

Later that night, they were patrolling the bad part of town, standing on the rooftops. "There has to be something else you are looking to ask me," said Jean-Claude.

"Yes, there is," said Henry, "Just what exactly are we looking for?"

Jean-Claude thought for a moment, and then said, "I came to Japan for a new start when rumors of the blood maker started to circulate. My mentors told me that there must be a drop in the vampire population somewhere, or else that would not have happened. However, when that happened, there were some renegades that we had been keeping an eye on that got delusions of grandeur. They believed in the old legends that said a blood maker's blood, combined with the right mix of herbs and supernatural jolts, could turn vampires into an almost godlike state. Obviously, global domination is their ultimate goal."

"Is there any truth the legends?" asked Henry.

"Absolutely not," said Jean-Claude, "However, because those rumors persist, if anyone were to believe it, they could be dangerous. If it is the wrong crowd, it could be disastrous. Yet, when we did our research, we found out that the blood maker just happened to reside in the place where I was headed. I could not believe it, but I guess this was meant to be. If I am going to stay here, it would be good to make things safer for myself. Anyway, I had no idea that it was Karin, much less the daughter of the chief. I thought she was another d'amphile at first, but she looked just too pure blood for that, so I was at a loss. After calling back, I came to find out about the traits of the blood makers, and it was then I realized it was Karin. Yet, it wasn't until last Friday night that I found out the truth. Now, I am glad things turned out the way they did. This can expedite matters."

"I am glad you came along," said Henry, "because my daughter was in more danger than she is now. It is good she walks in the day in this case."

"Well," interjected Jean-Claude, "there is the threat of g'huls. They may still employ them. That is why it is good that Kenta is learning what he is learning. It will come in handy. I'll also be there."

"Do you know specifically who is involved?" asked Henry.

"Not yet," said Jean-Claude, "but I have the Sinclairs on it. I know that Victor will be able to root out some information for us. He is a good man, he just needed some help. I wonder what made him change."

Henry put a broad grin on his face as he looked at Jean-Claude, and he smiled back. "Once this is over, I am glad that I can give this more of a rest, except when I need to hunt."

"It's good to have an avatar, son," said Henry.

Jean-Claude looked down, and then tapped on Henry's shoulder. "Well, look at what we have here," said Jean-Claude. A black van pulled up with a limo behind, and another van came down the other end of the alley, back to back with the first van. The doors opened, and they saw packages being exchanged. By their extra sight, they saw two in each van; two in each cab, two katana wielding thugs in the front of the limo, and two men in suits come out of the back of the limo. "Yakuzai," said Henry, "and look at the arrogance of the one in the back!"

"It's an opium deal," said Jean-Claude, "It's too bad they're going to have a bad night."

"Work on the vans," said Henry, "I want the one in the H, S, and M suit."

They then dropped down. The screams were blood curdling. One went flying through the flimsy wall of one of the vans; the other went flying into the other two in the other van. The men in the front ran to the back and sprayed the insides of the vans, only to have killed their remaining comrades. Three on the outside suddenly found themselves cut up, while the fourth found a pair of fangs in his neck! At the limo, the sword wielding thugs drew, and only got in one good block before they were sliced up. Henry then grabbed the one who looked like a boss, and sank in his fangs. The other screamed like a woman and ran for it. They thought he would get away, but help arrived. Anjou was just returning home from one of her hunts, when she just happened along the action. Before she could divert course, he saw the girl and leveled a pistol on her. That was the last thing he saw that night, as a cloud of bats surrounded his head. Anjou, with her characteristic deadpan, reached out a hand, and the man went flying back into, and then over, the limo. As they healed those that could be healed, and rearranged their memories, Henry saw Anjou. He was cross at her, but she then explained that she just happened to stumble on things after her hunt. He then asked, "Was that you that sent that man sprawling?"

She nodded. "Well, it looks like we don't have to worry about you," said Henry, smiling, and he scooped her up. Jean-Claude came out, and she said, "It's good to see you, big brother."

He smiled underneath the mask, and he tousled her hair as they made their way back. Yet, before they went, Jean-Claude said, "I pulled the men away out of range."

"Range of what?" asked Henry.

"I'm just going to cover our tracks a bit," he said, and reached his hand out, igniting the gas tanks. They went up with a loud explosion, and then Jean-Claude toned it down quickly, so as not to set the buildings around on fire. "That way, it looks like a gangland hit," said Jean-Claude, "Plus, the testimony of the survivors will be so confusing that the police will never be able to figure out what happened."

With that, they went back, knowing that the Yakuzai would be less likely to try anything again in that area for a while.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter IX

Having someone else up in the morning with you was something that Karin always dreamed about. However, there was a bit of adjustment that had to be made. They both had accidentally stumbled in on each other getting ready for class in their underwear, conflicted on schedule, and such like. Eventually, Jean-Claude started to get up one hour earlier than Karin, just to avoid conflict. This turned to Karin's advantage, because Jean-Claude turned out to be a decent cook, and had breakfast ready for her when she awoke. This saved her time in the morning, and because of the regularity that Jean-Claude established, she now had a routine that allowed her to not have to rush anymore. If it came to that, because Jean-Claude woke up her abilities, she knew how to get it done with haste. For Jean-Claude, his bon vivant approach to life took on a whole new notch. He now had a stable family that accepted him for who he was, and had someplace where he had a haven from hateful eyes. By this point, his band now had Maki at drums, and they had picked up a percussionist, a keyboard man, and a bass. However, they still needed a lead. They suggested that Jean-Claude just do the power guitar thing, but he said that, for some of the songs that he wanted to do, he needed to move about on the instruments, so an extra guitar was needed. He did not know what he was going to do for that.

That evening, however, would turn out to be interesting. For the first time, in the family room, he noticed the organ. It had been covered up, because no one knew how to play it. When he discovered it, he was all abuzz. "This is great!" he exclaimed, "I can play this thing. It has a whole rack of foot keys, and everything!"

He looked it over, switched it on, and played around with it a bit. "It still works!" he said happily, "How long have you had it?"

"It's been here ever since we've been here," said Calera, "James knew how to play it. But since he's been out of the picture, it's just sat."

"Do you mind if I try something?" he asked.

"I suppose not," she said, "as long as you _can_ play it. Some people try, and it is so annoying when they plunk around on it."

"That's because they do not play it like a musical instrument," said Jean-Claude, "they play it like it's a machine. Give a listen to this."

While all this was going on, Maki was upstairs with Karin doing some homework. (By this point, Maki knew well what she was, mainly because of the events of the previous year.) As they continued their studies, suddenly they heard the sounds of an organ wafting through the floorboards. It was quiet enough at first, but then, he hit some power chords and made them jump two feet off the floor. They got up and went to investigate, and came into the family room, where everyone, (except for Ren, who was not often around the home,) who had not been in there came in to see what was going on. Jean-Claude was playing Bach's _Toccata and Fugue in D minor, _and playing it with some relish. Even Elda was impressed, and even wiped away a tear or two, saying, "James would have loved you."

"From you, _Grande dame_," he said, "That is a high compliment."

"You know," said Maki, "I've always thought of organ music as creepy, and in horror pictures and haunted houses…" and she stopped herself, not just because everyone was staring at her, but also because she remembered that some would consider the whole Marker residence to be what she just described. All she could do is give a quiet, "I'm sorry," and tried to make herself very small. Jean-Claude, to take the edge off it, said, "Well, here is an example of lively music."

With that, he ripped into the _Gigue in Fugue in G major,_ also by Bach, and that seemed to help make things more festive. "You play very nicely, big brother," said Anjou, "I wish I could play something."

"Wow, kid," said Maki, "You sure drop hints subtly, don't you?" with a sarcastic tone. "Corn Muffin," he said to Anjou, (his nickname for her,) "How would you like to learn guitar?"

She curled a small smile, and said, "Can you teach me?"

"It would be an honor," he said, "Tomorrow, I should be clear with my studies, so we can get started then, okay?"

"Thank you," she said very quietly. Karin said, "Speaking of studies, we need to get back to our own. Get the chips and soda; we have our English lessons to tend to."

"I'll be right up to help, if you want," said Jean-Claude.

"We'd love it!" they said, and he excused himself. Anjou excused herself by saying, "And I need to check on brother Ren," which was her way of saying that she was going to feed. By the lifestyle that he led, it was always easy to find jealous people around. Elda said, "How would you like Grandmamma to come with you tonight?"

"I would love it," she said, and they left.

That left Calera and Henry. She then asked him, "So, have you spoken to the council?"

"Yes," he said, "and at first, they were not too keen on the idea of him being involved with us."

"Then what did you say?" she probed.

"I explained what had happened here," he answered, "and they then asked just who this was. When I explained, they asked my why I did not tell them earlier. They had actually been expecting him."

"What!" she said, "I thought…"

"He did not know," said Henry, interrupting, "They understood his reluctance, and did not let on that they knew, because the council wanted to see if what his benefactors had said about him was true. Once they saw him in action, (and they have been watching,) they knew that the legends about the half-breed that got away, and then exacted revenge on the renegades that killed his family were true. He is actually feared amongst renegade vampires, because, when it comes to that, he is vicious, and shows no mercy."

"He just doesn't seem like that," she said, "except for that one time."

"Believe me," said Henry, "When we went out to hunt together, when it came to evil, he was ruthless, in a sense. I mean, for those that had not killed themselves trying to get us, he pulled away those men before he ignited everything. However, what he did to their minds was horrific. Every one of those men that survived are in a mental institution right now, and the news is still talking about the gangland hit that they cannot trace, and a hit that the police say may never be solved. His actions actually shut down a drug syndicate in this area of the city. He actually wants to patrol other areas when he goes to feed, because he literally wants to clean up the city. I tell you, it's like he is two different people. It's like he can separate his personality by his breeding stock. When it is time to be a human, he is an exceptional one. When it is time to be a vampire, there is no human in him."

"What did the council say about the renegades that he killed," she asked.

"Well, aside from, 'good riddance,'" he answered, "they said that they would send a few bats and spies to see if they can find out who was behind the attack, where they are from, and then confirm what Jean-Claude had said they were after. As for fighting them, well, they said, 'Just get him in the right frame of mind, and point him in the general direction of the enemy.'

They must know something about him that he has not let on."

"What is your guess?" she asked.

"I would guess," he said, and then paused to collect his thoughts, "I would guess that, somehow, because of what he is, there are things that he can grab a hold of in power and fighting that the average vampire cannot."

"I don't follow," she said, confused.

"In other words," he clarified, "because he is half and half, he may have, by this time, know how to use both aspects about himself to their fullest potential. I mean, think about this: vampire hunters of the past have actually shown themselves to be quite capable at fighting vampires successfully, no matter what kind of vampire we speak of. Now, whether or not the supernatural power they tapped into to do it was divine or not is not what is at question here. However, I would say, though, they could fight like that because they did have something supernatural empowering them, whether or not they realized it. He claims to be religious, a Christian, in fact. I am not saying that I believe what he believes about the supernatural, but whatever it is, it is something that could probably empower him to fight the way he does if he were a mere human vampire hunter. However, because he is what he is, he can tap into that, and his vampire abilities. If it is indeed divine, or that he has some divine blessing, or whatever it is, because it is a righteous cause, not only are his human faculties enhanced, but his vampire abilities would be enhanced at the time he needs it. That is a deadly combination indeed! All I know is, I, and the council, are glad that he is on our side, because if a heart for vengeance was the only thing on his mind, then we might as well as say good-bye to the vampire species, or at least, watch the numbers dwindle very few before he was stopped."

"What are you saying?" Calera said, "Are you saying that he could be that deadly?"

"All I know is this," said Henry, "those renegades had better be ready to be buried in the very coffins that they sleep in, because he will do all he can to insure that they never come out of them again!"

They both sat quietly, scared of what he can do, but also, they felt as safe as they could be, because they knew that they had nothing to fear as long as he was with them. She then asked, "What about our adoption proposal?"

Henry turned around and retrieved the official papers from both the city and the council, saying, "The council asked me, 'and you had to ask, because…?'"

It was now the first part of October, and the school government had been selected. As soon as this was done, Jean-Claude made his bat house proposal. He said that, not only would it be good pest control, but it would also be a good study for the biology class, as well as a good school activity for some of them to be involved with, as they help to maintain things. However, there were enough on the student council that believed too many myths about bats that made them reluctant to accept the proposal. Jean-Claude then talked with both the principal and the homeroom teacher, and asked if there were a way that he could give the presentation that he gave to every school that he proposed this, and who were just as skeptical. He said that, if he could get the local community involved, as well as get the student council involved, he may just be able to persuade people. They agreed, and that Friday evening, he was able to give the presentation. He was surprised to see the Markers in there in full force. He asked them quietly, "What are you doing here?"

"Are we not a family?" said Calera, "Besides, when Anjou found out what you were up to, she wanted to be involved. It would benefit her familiars a lot."

He stepped up, and the principal came up to start the proceedings, "First, I wish to congratulate Makka-san on his adoption into the Makka family."

There was some applause, and then he said, "And now, I would like to turn the floor over to Jean-Claude Makka."

"Thank you," he said, and began his presentation. He stood there, wearing some nice slacks, looking well groomed, a nice pattern sweater and white collar shirt, with some nice shoes. He wanted to be as well groomed as possible, because he knew that first impressions are lasting ones. He was also glad to see Yuriya in the audience. It was no secret that the two had started to become an item. It was not just that they were close in age, but what everyone did not know was the kinship they both shared, being what they were, that attracted them to one another. It was a bond few would have understood. He then continued:

"Okay, the first thing I want to show is how much myths can affect us. Anjou, could you come up here and help me?"

Without saying anything, she set Boogie-kun on the chair and came up. To the people there, she looked adorable enough, but had this air about her that gave some people the creeps. "Thank you, Corm Muffin," he continued, "Ladies and gentlemen; this is my kid sister and shadow, Anjou Makka."

There was a bit of applause, and then he went on, "Now, I need a volunteer with long hair to come up here. I will pay you 2,000 yen to help me."

A few stood up, and then he said, "Ah, you might have second thoughts about what I am planning. I want to prove that you cannot get a bat tangled in your hair, or even interested in your hair."

They sat down. He then said, "That is exactly what I am talking about right there. Now, folks, I am telling you that it is impossible, and whether or not it would happen, I am still going to pay you. Hey, it's an easy 2,000," and then he effected as good a Yiddish accent as he could, and said, "What do you got to lose?"

Finally, one of the students on the council got up and reluctantly came up on the platform of the science lab where they were holding court. He then asked Anjou to fetch the large brown bat for him. "Now this bat is small enough to have the possibility to tangle in your hair. I wouldn't use Bruce here, because he would look more like a hat!"

Everyone chuckled as he went on. The girl said, "Now, you will be able to get him out, right?"

"I'll pay you 4,000 if I cannot," he answered. He sat her down, and she was shaking like a leaf. He set the bat on her head, and he immediately hopped up and flew to his perch. He had Anjou to get him again, and this time he said, "Now to make the point clear, watch this!"

He then picked up locks of her hair and wrapped it around the bat. He then set it on her head, and it flopped a couple of times to free itself, and it again returned to its perch. He had Anjou give it a few mealworms, and pulled out the 2,000 yen. He gave it to her, and then explained to her, and everyone where the myth came from, "When you walk at night that is the right temperatures for mosquitoes, they will actually be swarming all above your head. Since they are attracted to heat, and since the head is the place where the greatest percentage of heat escapes the human body, this is the most logical place for the bugs to swarm. Yet, because it is dark, you cannot see them. Since the greatest percentages of bats are insectivores, they eat mosquitoes collectively by the ton. Now, you can't see the bugs, but they can. Bats are not blind. In fact they all have great eyesight. However, because they are nocturnal, they have developed sonar to help them navigate. You cannot see the bugs, but with their sonar, when they look at you, they see a smorgasbord flying above your head. Since they eat on the fly, (and I'll talk about more of that shortly,) they swoop in to catch their prey. Sometimes they buzz close to your head. Yet, your hair is not their aim. If it ever did happen, it was probably the clumsiest bat in history!"

Everyone got a good laugh at that, and he said, "Because of their style of hunting, this is where the myth came from. Let's hear it for our volunteer, 2,000 yen richer and wiser for the wear."

Everyone applauded as she took her seat, and he continued with the presentation:

"Bats are extremely important to our ecosystem. If bats were hunted to extinction, you could not imagine how many insects would be crawling over the earth. They would be everywhere. That is how important they are. Bats are quite intelligent, and beneficial. They are very loving parents, very clean animals, and they groom quite a bit. There are many species of bats, in fact. Here, we have the large and small brown bat. As you can see, they are not all that big. In fact, these are actually the average size of most bat breeds. There is one so small it is called the bumblebee bat. It's about this big," and he showed with his fingers its size, "So seeing these things as big and vicious animals is so wrong. Bruce, here, is an exception to the rule. He is an Australian flying fox—the largest species of bat in the world. You may think that he is a vicious hunter, but actually, he is a fruit bat."

Anjou then picked him up, and it stretched its wings around her neck, as it licked her face. "As you can see," he said, "It is quite an affectionate animal. It also has the longest wingspan of any bat, as you can see. Now, the thing about it is, everyone is turned off about the way its wings are designed. However, if you knew its structure, it would not seem all that hard. Yet, because it seemed so out of the ordinary, when you compare it to insect or bird wings, people began to envision horrible things. In renaissance paintings, devils and demons are always depicted as having bat-like wings, because, when put on humanoid looking creatures, they look quite horrifying. This is the start of where some of our horror movie myths came from, especially about that time. This is when exploration of the new world began, and when they ran into the much feared, but very misunderstood vampire bat. They already gave bats a bad rap, but, now there was this bat they had discovered in Mexico and South America, in the tropical region, that fed on the blood of the animals they brought over. Because of the myths about vampires that already existed, they immediately attached this animal to the vampire story."

The Markers began to shift a bit in their seats, wondering where he was going to take that. The truth was that bats had always been around vampires. It was just that, they were a good animal to employ for a kind of people that were as nocturnal as they were. They would have had to admit, though, that the discovery of the vampire bat did not help matters much. He continued, "Of course, we all know how myths and tall tales go. Because of fear, and for centuries, this animal has been feared and hunted in large proportions. Humans have this tendency to fear that which they do not understand, and then hate what they fear. If it had not been for enough scientists who wanted to learn in order to overcome their fears, humans might have well hunted them to extinction."

Now the Markers were listening intently. In a sense, if it came down to it, if there were ever a situation where vampires had to defend their very existence, he might have just been the one that could have convinced enough people to leave them alone. "Now that we know what we know, we can see these beautiful animals in a different light. Education always does much to kill fear brought about by ignorance. Therefore, I am going to tell you about the physical traits of the animal, how they hunt, a bit about the vampire bat, and how they are misunderstood, and then describe what can happen when you upset the fruit basket ecologically with the extermination of bats."

He then went on to describe the structure of the wing, how it was the same as the structure of the human hand, the arm bones, the sonar capability, (which he demonstrated with his large brown bat,) and then demonstrated the ability of it hunting. For that, he used the Mexican Free Tail. He let it free, and then randomly threw up mealworms from time to time, and they watched the bat zero in, and tumble like an acrobat as it flew. "As you can see, he tumbles when he catches," he said, "What he is doing is either using the skin in his tail, or his wing like a catcher's mitt, to scoop up the insect. He then tumbles to put it in his mouth, and then spreads his wing to continue flying. He will either eat on the fly, or he will briefly roost to eat, and then continue on."

He gathered him in and put him back. He then continued: "Now, I want to deal a bit with the vampire bat. I have already stated its habitat, so we here in Japan have nothing to worry about. However, too much bad has been said about that bat. I grant you, it does have to feed on blood in order to survive; yet, the amount of blood is very small—no more than a teaspoon in actuality. It normally feeds on cattle, landing on its host, making a slight incision. It has an anticoagulant in its saliva, much like a mosquito, so it can keep feeding. It does not have to be in the neck—it can be anywhere on the bovine's body. It licks up the blood, and moves on. For the cow, it is no more than a mosquito bite. It doesn't normally pay any mind to it. The danger comes in when a rabid bat moves in. Of course, it has to bite to feed, and if it is rabid…well…we know where that goes. Some fear that they attack humans, but they would rather not. Most wild animals will avoid hunting humans unless they have no other choice. Humans taste terrible to them. This also goes for the vampire bat. Besides all that, if one of these creatures ever landed on a human, the human is far more sensitive to something like that, and he would be more than likely to shoo off the bat. There has been the occasional bite, and normally from a sick or rabid bat that has caused a death, but that is _extremely rare_! They also eat insects as well, so, they also are beneficial as well. This leads me into the benefit of bats. They really do eat a great amount of insects. Let me give you a demonstration of what can happen when you mess around with things. I had a friend who worked on Fort Hood in Texas, and in the crevices of the balconies and other spots of the old barracks, Mexican Free Tails made their homes. It was quite a sight for the soldiers going out for Physical Training to see the bats coming in and out from a long night's hunt. There was never a mosquito problem in the spring and fall, when the insect would normally be—summer is too hot for them, and winter too cool. However, some general thought that they were too much of a nuisance, especially when some of the female soldiers complained, and feared the first myth that I dispelled tonight. Thus, he called for the wholesale extermination of the bat wherever they were found in the buildings. This was a HUGE mistake! The next mosquito season was living hell for those soldiers! The amount of mosquitoes that were normally eaten by these bats was harassing the solders, even in the summer, when the nights were still cool enough for the mosquito to be out. Not only did the post suffer, but the neighboring town suffered as well. Once the mistake was acknowledged, they let the bats return. Fortunately, they came back rather quickly, and the bats were never to be disturbed again. Another good and happy example happened in nearby Austin, Texas. A new overpass had been built over Lake Travis, but the construction of the bridge's underside was the perfect roosting spot for the Free Tail. As the population in the colony grew, the citizens became concerned. They feared all the myths about hair and rabies, and other things, and they were going to exterminate them, and then set it up so that the bats could not return. Fortunately, enough scientists at nearby University of Texas spoke up, and educated the city on the animal, and told them how they benefited from the bats. They even said that something like this would make for a good public relations kind of thing. It is now known as Bat Bridge, and there are signs on the underside on the walk paths by the lake, telling of the bat, how it lives, and what to do should you find a sick bat. Now, on many summer nights, people either stand on the bridge, or under it, to watch the bats take off for the hunt. The colony of bats becomes a cloud of bats. It is such an awesome sight to see, just as the sun has finally dropped below the horizon, leaving that red and orange glow, and seeing the cloud drop out of the crevices, moving as one over the lake, and then splitting into two, then fours, and so forth. It is beautiful! By having the bat houses on the roof, not only do you provide a good habitat, and a safe home, you make this school have something unique about it that no other school has. Now, it is getting close to their hibernating time, so, if we are to do this, we must act quickly. Who knows, if enough bats move in, we may have the mascot that we have been seeking."

He then went on to describe how to build one of these houses, and said that anyone can do this if they so care. He had brochures on the counter for anyone who was curious, and how to deal with bats if they should build one. "One benefit to these houses is, if built very accommodating, this will keep them from roosting in your house, where the smell of guano would chase many people out. We would have to put guano troughs under the houses here, but, what a great form of detention—having to clean those things out!"

Everyone cringed and laughed. He then said, "Well, that completes my presentation. I will now throw it open for questions, and then you can come up and meet my friends, and I will tell you all about them."

Everyone applauded and asked a few questions. Everyone then came up to meet his friends, and many brochures were taken. The council also informed him that they would have a decision by that next Tuesday.

The Markers were quite impressed by the presentation, and were helping him with all his things. "That was well done," said Henry, "you speak well. You could have a career in politics."

Jean-Claude laughed and said, "May you only live so long!"

Anjou then said, "Thank you, big brother, I can have some of my bats move in, and then I can help keep an eye on things."

"Anytime, Corn Muffin," he said, and picked her up in his arm.

At this, however, a girl from the council approached. She affected pale skin and a wild hair cut. She had various body piercings and bat earrings that they did not know she had because she was forbidden to wear them during the day. She came up to the group and said, "Say, I wanted to ask you something privately, because I don't know how it would have been taken in the group."

He thought it odd, but then said, "Okay, fire away!"

"Do you believe in vampires?" she asked.

Everyone shuddered, and Anjou felt Jean-Claude stiffen a bit.

"Well, I would say that this is a different question," he answered, "May I ask why you ask?"

"Well, someone that knows as much as you do about the animals, I figured, would know something about that," she answered.

"Why do you think that?" he then asked.

"I believe that there a little truth to every myth," she said, "And normally, bats usually accompany vampires, though I don't believe that they change into bats or anything."

"Then what do you believe?" he asked, turning the tables on her.

"I loved Ann Rice's book _Interview with Vampire_," she said, "and I believe that it has a lot of truths to it."

"So, let me ask you," said Jean-Claude, "Do you believe that vampires are the undead?"

"Yes," she said.

"Do you believe that vampires can make more of their kind by biting and the drinking of the vampire blood of the victim?"

"I believe that too," she said.

"Well, I read that book too," said Jean-Claude, "and I would say that, if I were to believe in vampires, I would think that there would be more to believe in that than in any other horror picture of the past."

"So you do believe?" she asked.

"What makes you ask?" probed Jean-Claude.

The company there saw that he was trying to deflect the questions as best he could, but they could not believe the persistence of the girl. She then said, "Well, I see you and Karin, and how they let you get away with the dental appliances you two wear, so I figured that you two were into that kind of thing."

"Are you talking about the gothic punk scene," he asked.

"Oh yes," she answered, "that is exactly what I am talking about."

Jean-Claude thought for a moment, and said, "And, is becoming a vampire something that you desire?"

"I would say that there would be some drawbacks," she said, "but there are so many other things to it, that I would not think it a bad thing."

After a moment or two of pondering, Jean-Claude then said, "If you must know, if I were to believe in vampires, I would not believe them to be the undead. I would believe them to be just another form of hominid, just trying to make it like anyone else. I also would believe that they would be to us like the vampire bat is to the bat in general: beneficial but misunderstood, living under a cloud of misunderstanding and myth. It is only the "sick" and "rabid" ones that need to be worried about."

"Hmm…I guess I agree with some of that, but," she answered, and then thought for a moment, "you would not they are the undead."

"If I were to believe, no," he answered.

"Strange," she said, "That's not what most of the people I know think," and sounded disappointed. Jean-Claude then said, "What's your name?"

"Yukiko," she said, surprising everyone, seeing that she was not using normal Japanese customs, being so familiar. "Well, Yukiko, I guess I'll see you around school then," said Jean-Claude, and they took their leave. Calera said, "Now that was an interesting way of handling it."

"I try to answer things like that without actually answering it," he retorted, "It leaves them feeling like they got an answer, but I really did not tell her anything. However, I am worried about her."

"What's there to worry about?" asked Karin.

"If it's the crowd that I think it is," he answered, "then it is a sector of the gothic punk scene that has people hung up on the vampire fetish."

"This is the first I've heard of it," said Henry.

"It is a sad scene indeed," said Ren, having seen it for himself.

"What do they do?" asked Elda.

"They wear a lot of leather clothes, like bodices and vests, garters and high heels, pale make up, wild hair-dos and piercings that you saw her wearing, and they like to live at night. Some of them even go as far as to sleep in coffins and drink other people's blood! If they would only consider the blood borne illnesses that they expose themselves to by doing that."

Maki could not believe what she was hearing, and said, "That's sick!"

"They all have something in common," said Jean-Claude, "These are people that have a low self-esteem, who felt that they had no freedom growing up, no identity, and no power. They embrace things like this because it makes them feel powerful and wanted. There is also the need to feel things that are supernatural, and that is also dangerous. They don't have any idea how destructive their lifestyles really are."

"They have no idea the dangers they put themselves in with actual vampires," said Yuriya, "If they get too close to the truth, they risk much."

"If there is that somewhere in the neighborhood," said Jean-Claude, "then we need to keep an eye on her, and on that scene. It would be a perfect place from which the renegades could operate. They can hide there because we would pay such foolish behavior no mind. I think it is time."

Jean-Claude looked at Anjou, and said, "Corn Muffin, keep a few bats on her if you can. We need to see what she is involved with, who she is involved with, and if there is any danger. Her life could be in jeopardy if actual vampires, and renegades in particular, are involved."

"I shall, big brother," she said, and they all walked silently back to their homes, pondering just how serious a problem this could be.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter X

By that Tuesday, the student council gave permission to proceed, and work began in relish. They were surprised on how quickly some bats moved in, not knowing that they were some of Anjou's colony. Somehow, the council also caught the mascot hint, and decided that the school mascot would be the Bats, after putting it to an open student vote. By this point, Anjou had become quite proficient in the guitar. Because she had the time, she could put far more into her practice than most people would care to dream. In fact, because she had become that good, he suggested that she be allowed to join the new band. Of course, there was reluctance to let her join due to her age. She shattered this by breaking into _Classical Gas_, at first causing shock and awe, and then egging the rest of the group into joining her. It then became official. The next night, Henry and Calera came to fetch her for some family thing, and they asked how her playing was coming. Jean-Claude smiled and said, "Do you really want to know? Listen to this!"

The group then ripped into _Circle Sky_, with Anjou playing power guitar over the top of everything else. Because of the choice of the school mascot, the band decided to call themselves D'Amphile and the Bats. Maki was all happy about it, because she and Karin could come up with some neat outfits, and Anjou's personality rounded off the effect of the group. It was hoped that, with the upcoming arts festival, they could play, so the band began to practice in earnest.

In the meantime, Karin had been keeping an eye on Yukiko. She indeed was involved with the gothic punk scene, complete with the styles of clothes she wore outside school, her music, and even her involvement with role-playing games that dealt heavily with the occult and vampires. Ren had a chance to tail her one night, and followed her into a club that seemed to cater to this crowd. There were people from age groups from teenager on up. They were all intermixing with no regard to age, doing anything their hearts desired. They had no restraint, and believed in license. Because of how bad they were misrepresenting the world of the vampire, Ren had all he could do to remain in there to gather information before he became physically ill. However, he did notice one thing. In the back, sitting at a prominent table in the back, were three individuals—two male and one female—that were more conservatively dressed. After asking a few questions, it appeared that these three were in charge of the club, and represented some kind of "elite" grouping within the club. They seemed to affect a look in the role-play going on that they were the "head vampires," and indeed played the role to the hilt. Indeed, it seemed that they had a handful of the kids catering to them. Ren studied them for a bit, and then looked at their auras. A smirk curled on his face when he realized that these three were indeed vampires. This was confirmed when one female, who had been doting on one of the males, volunteered her neck to the man, and he bit with relish. He did not erase her memory, because, for the girl, she thought it was part of the act. They were not even shy about it in the club, considering that all the people in there would have considered this normal. However, before he left, a young lady began to hit off him, and as it so happened, she was a girl under a lot of stress. To confirm this, he said he wanted to go outside so they could talk. However, she suggested something else. She took him to the back where he found rooms with beds in them. He was intrigued by this, and he was then to find out just how into license these people were. It was not prostitution, but a place where, if anyone cared to get his or her kicks, which included blood drinking along with God knows what, a place was provided. At first, he thought he was going to have a good time out of this place despite his horror to things. That was to change quickly when he entered. The smell alone wanted to make him wretch. These rooms were not well taken care of, and the smell said it all, as well as the poor sanitary conditions. She had enough stress to make him very hungry, but because of the look of the place, he just wanted to get it over with, which he did. He got his feed, and then laid her on the bed to sleep it off. He then beat a hasty retreat from the place. He had to get back before Karin and the others to tell what he had seen. He had to find out if this was common, and he had to tell of whom he discovered.

He was able to catch the both of them before they went to bed, and he then relayed all that he had discovered. Henry said, "And they had the audacity to move into this city without my knowing. I bet I could safely assume that the council does not know about this either."

"More than likely not," said Jean-Claude, "And because of the nature of the club, it makes me wonder how long they have been operating under the radar screen."

Ren jumped in, and said, "Are all the clubs that deal in that so disgusting?"

"Not really," he said, "In fact, the description that you gave with such license and abandon is odd. They do preach that kind of license, and display it, but never to that extent, especially with those rooms of which you spoke."

"What do think it is, then?" asked Henry.

"My guess is that it is the perfect environment in which to operate for them," said Jean-Claude, "In fact, I think it is set up in that way to foster such things more than normal in order to suit their own needs. In short, it is their haven, and feeding trough. If they want conditions bad for the humans, who cares? They certainly don't! All they care about is what they get out of them. They are dangerous. I cannot tell if they are a part of what we seek, but it does warrant further investigation."

"Did you see Yukiko in there?" asked Karin.

"Yes, I did," said Ren, "but she wasn't involved with the head table. However, as ambitious as she is, it would not take long."

"Then you have to stay close to her," said Jean-Claude.

"What do I do?" asked Karin.

"You need to befriend her," said Jean-Claude, "and see if you cannot creep into that world. Start asking about hairstyles, clothes, music—anything that would get you into her world, and into her mind. You need to get Kenta involved as well, because he would help make a good cover for you, in addition to the fact that he may be on the receiving end of a lot of blood."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Karin.

"Remember what I said the other night about the psychology of that crowd?" he asked.

"Oh yeah," she said, "So, you're saying she may be unhappy?"

"If things are like I expect," he answered, "you can bank on it."

Once she explained the situation to Kenta, he was more than happy to help, and for the next week or two, they began to befriend her, and learn all about her world. In time, they went shopping together, and Karin, (thanks to Jean-Claude,) picked up an entire wardrobe of that style. She also picked up some music off the Internet that she knew she could quickly dispose of, because she did not particularly care for that kind of music. Yet she learned it, just to be knowledgeable. She also did not really care for some of the outfits because they were too revealing, and said things about her for which she did not particularly care. Even though they knocked Kenta's eyes right out of their sockets, she did not feel comfortable. It was not just this, but also, it was speaking things about her kind that were just not true. She did not want to foster things that were not true about herself. When she started to affect some of that in appearance, people started looking at Karin oddly. People began to be concerned about her, yet not so much, because she still was a good student, (except in math, where everyone knew that she had some problems,) and did not take the "Devil-may-care" attitude that some in the gothic punk world did. They just passed it off as a phase, until Yuriya, Maki, and Wiener finally cornered her one night in Julian's place. Maki said, "What is going on? You have been spending an awful lot of time with that girl!"

"Yes," said Yuriya, "and I could not help but notice a change in your clothes outside of school."

Karin was at a loss, and she did not know where to begin. Jean-Claude noticed this, then came up to the knot of people, and said, "Ah…is there a way I can have a word with you guys out back? That includes you as well, Wiener."

When he got them out back, he said, "I talk to all of you, because you, Maki, and Wiener, are aware of things. The fact is, we are watching the girl because we think that she may be in danger, as are every kid that frequents the club to which she goes."

"What kind of danger is that?" asked Maki.

"We are talking about a possibility of dealing with renegade vampires," said Jean-Claude, "and we had to get an inroad to dealing with her before we jumped to conclusions."

"What does that have to do with us?" asked Yuriya.

"Well, with you, Maki," said Jean-Claude, "if it is possible, keep in earshot of conversations away from Karin, and tell me what you have heard. As for Yuriya and Wiener, I may need the two of you on Friday night. Karin and Kenta have been invited by Yukiko to go to this club, and if it comes to trouble, any help I can get would be great. Wear your best Goth look, and for you, Wiener, wear some of your old hunting clothes, but not too much as it would tip off our suspects. Tell your grandfather, because we may need him as well. Both of your expertise on the matter would be useful. Make sure the two of you are prayed up, just to ensure as much empowerment can come your way. You may have to go into combat, but that is not a guarantee."

Wiener stood up straight and stuck his chest out, "You can count on the prowess of Wiener Sinclair—reformed renegade vampire hunter! When it comes to the safety of the dear maiden Karin Makka, I would stake all that is dear to me! I would die to ensure another breath for her; I would take a bullet! I would…"

He then began to scream in pain as Maki grabbed him by the ear as if he were a naughty boy, saying, "Yeah, yeah, yeah; I'm sure she appreciates it! Let's go, you—we have studies to tend to. And what did I tell you about slipping!"

"Ow, ow, ow! Okay, Maki—I'm sorry! I'll behave! Please let go!" screamed Wiener, as the headed back into the restaurant. Maki stuck her head back around and said smiling, "Sorry about that, I'll take care of him! Please continue."

"Be ready on Friday," said Jean-Claude, "It may be nothing more than a fact-finding mission, but we have to be ready for anything. Kenta, I hope you have been practicing—what you now know may come in handy!"

Kenta nodded, and said, "I'll meet you at your place, Karin, so I can change clothes there. I definitely do not want to hint to mother anything."

"Of course," said Karin. However, it got Karin to thinking about how things were going, and how they could go. Despite all that was going on, eventually, his mother was going to find out. In fact, she figured that it might be sooner rather than later, because, if the renegades wanted to get at her, they would eventually make the connection between her and the Usui household, and both Fumio and Kenta would be in danger. If he had to use his abilities before her to defend her, it might drive her crazy from the sight. Even if he were to erase her memory, she would wonder how the house became trashed. They would then have to come up to the house, just for safety sake. Then what would they do, keep her unconscious and locked in a closet? She would have to chew on this, and then present this to her father. However, she would see how Friday went first before she said anything.

Friday eventually came around, after their shift at Julian's, Kenta made his way to Karin's under the guise of studying with Maki, Karin, and Jean-Claude. When they got to the house, Wiener and Victor were already there, as was Yuriya. Ren was coming as well, considering his inside knowledge of things. Wiener looked like he was ready for a mash pit, (thanks to the help of Maki,) but Victor looked more like a modern-day Wyatt Earp. He surprised everyone by the amount of ordinance that he was able to conceal and not be cumbersome underneath his trench coat, as well as the sword he carried. The most intimidating of all was Jean-Claude. He affected his normal look, and, for the first time, they were able to see under the trench coat the Marine Corps dress blue shirt that he wore. It was unbuttoned at the top because it was a bit hot. When they asked what that was about, he said that it would be as if he was carrying the spirits of his father, grandfather, and even his mother, into the fight with him. Of course, when he was like this, his personality was very different. It was as a case of Jekyll and Hyde. He seemed more like something out of professional wrestling than a 17-year-old high school student. Maki had been able to find out that she was being considered for the "inner circle," and they wanted to know just what that was all about. With that, they all agreed to meet Yukiko in the park, and then they would make their way. As the motley crew went their way, they noticed a cloud of bats following them. It was certain that Anjou wanted to keep an eye on things as such that, if something did happen, and it got bad, she could send reinforcements. Certainly, Henry was very interested in three vampires operating in the city without his approval, much less his knowledge. As the group went to the club, they looked like such an intimidating crew that people got out of their way very quickly. Even the toughest looking of people took one look at this crew, and suddenly found something else to be interested in expeditiously!

When they got to the club, the doorman was not so sure about the group. He indeed was intimidated, but at the same time, if it were trouble, he knew whom to call. They did not know that this was a g'hul at the door, and it would take a bit more than this to scare him. Yukiko piped up and said, "Its okay, they're with me!"

"I'm sorry," he said, "but you know that there is only one guest per member."

Jean-Claude walked up and glared at him in that right way, and said, softly but firmly, "Make an exception!"

The g'hul's eyes went as wide as dinner plates, and he was nearly ready to pee in his pants! He stepped aside as they went in. The bouncers at the door saw this and foolishly tried to step in the way. Ren and Jean-Claude quickly threw them into the wall very hard. When they rebounded, they both touched the crowns of their heads, and they fell unconscious. It appeared as if two sith lords had just entered the room, and they were in a foul mood. They then spread out in order to learn as much as they could, but not so far apart as they could not be there for one another if need be.

The music was earsplitting and of low quality, in the sense of there being little in the way of phrasing, harmony, style, and such like. It was all distorted with dissonance and disharmony, along with a forced and driving beat. Despite that, people still found a way to dance to it, if you called what they did "dancing." It looked more as something out of a battle royal than a dance. Jean-Claude preferred Gospel and classical music, although he did play secular music with his band. Even then, he preferred the classics with updated sounds as compared to today's music, because, at least that way, he could sing more upbeat and inspiring songs than what he was hearing at that moment. All the songs were about despair, how bad life was, how people should just hate, break things; lose the ability to care about life, and such like things. However, it was beginning to have an effect on Karin, because of all the auras around that were filled with sadness and despair. Kenta then told Karin, "If it starts to happen, don't hold it in. However, due to the nature of the club, pick someone here. It would probably do them a world of good."

Karin looked at him oddly, but then understood what he was saying. Yet, she also knew that, if that were the case, then there could be several people that went home that night with adjusted attitudes!

Not much later on, Yukiko was informed that, at midnight, she was to be invited to the upper table, and let into the inner circle. However, Ren and Jean-Claude made their way up to talk to these three. The one that looked in charge said, "I did not say that you could come up here and…" yet, Ren, who said, "Be quiet," cut him off!" and then said, "I ask permission from no one for anything."

"Nor do I," said Jean-Claude, gazing from just under the brim of his hat.

The female got angry and said, "Who do you think you…" and she was cut off by the lead man, who set her down, and then said, "I think I know what you two are."

"Just what do you think?" asked Ren.

"You two are a pair of leeches like us, right?" said the lead man.

"If you can see as we see, then it is pretty obvious, isn't it?" asked Jean-Claude rhetorically, "Why would this surprise you?"

Rather than comment on the question, the lead man said, "I see that you are not alone," and pointed to Karin and Yuriya. This prompted Ren to ask, "You have a problem with vampires coming in here?"

The lead man leaned back in his chair and stared at them, elbows on the chair arms, fingers pressed together, with the forefingers on his lips, staring at the two. "No," he said, "I suppose not, as long as you behave yourselves."

"You act as if you were the chief of the city," said Jean-Claude.

"In here, I am," he said, "and I would have appreciated a bit of warning before you all came. However, I am not as strict as some chiefs, so it's okay—this time!"

He smiled, as if he were trying to intimidate them, oblivious to the fact that the two staring at him could see right through him, and were doing all they could to keep from standing up and throttling him. Ren then said, "You say that as if being the chief of this city were something inevitable."

He now grinned broadly, and said, "If things go right, it may well be. Besides, if you two behave yourselves, you will find out just how much better things would be."

He then looked over the two of them, and saw Karin. She was engaged in conversation with one of the girls, and then Karin got "that look," and the girl began to follow her, as if she could not control herself. "Wow, she works quickly!" he commented, and pointed. Ren knew that this might happen. He was just glad that there were plenty of people in there from which to choose. He knew that, for some, it was going to be an interesting night. Ren said, "What can I say? She embraces what she is without restraint. Is this a bad thing?"

"It's interesting you say that," he said, "because this is an ultimate aim."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Jean-Claude.

The lead man thought for a minute, but the other man looked at him, and shook his head. The lead man just gestured a "calm down" sign with his hand. He then said, "Let us just say that, if all goes well, you two will be thanking us for what shall happen. I can say this: we know of a blood maker that would be the key to a vampire paradise. All this cattle you see before you would be our servants. They would be too weak to resist us."

They could have asked more, but they let it go, realizing that these two men told them all they needed to know. The lead man then said, "I noticed that you came in with Yukiko. She is a good girl. If she behaves, we can g'hul her out, and make her one of the privileged few humans to be above their own. A place like this is good for candidates in that regard: people that feel they have no hope, who are looking for ultimate freedom, power, and order. They will have it, but not the way they think. As long as I can convince her that we are making her a vampire, it becomes all too easy."

That got Jean-Claude's attention, "Just what does that mean?"

"None of these kids that we g'hul out ever go back home," said the woman there.

"Yukiko, from what I understand," said Jean-Claude, "is on her student council, and would be missed."

"We have our ways," said the third man.

"Why do you trust us with this?" said Ren.

"It's just a hunch," said the lead man, "but it seems to me that you two would be perfect in joining us. We are always looking for fellow vampires who would see the light; who are sick of hiding and wish to be free. Join us, and we can assure you godhood."

Ren was about to take action, but Jean-Claude took his wrist, and said, "It sounds good to me. When are you going to G'hul her out?"

"At midnight," he answered.

"I would like to be there," said Jean-Claude, "and we can do what we need to in order to join you."

"Sounds good," he said, "That way we can kill two birds with one stone."

"Then, we'll stay around and look for you at the time," said Ren.

"Excellent," said the lead man, "In the meantime, enjoy yourselves. I am sure that your blood preferences are here in force. Take your pick, just remember to be discreet."

With that, they left. Ren said, "What do you have in mind."

"I have a plan," said Jean-Claude, "We can take care of them and close this place down."

"What do you mean?" asked Ren.

"If there are kids here that have gone missing," said Jean-Claude, "The police would be interested in this. We could get them in to shut this place down. In the meantime, we have to find a way to strike. Furthermore, I don't think they trust us. I would not think it would be that easy to be a part of what they are. They so much as told on themselves, didn't they?"

"That is true," said Ren, "So what are you implying."

"I would lay you ten schillings on the pound that they, right now, are laying a trap for us," said Jean-Claude.

"What do we do?" asked Ren.

"First, we find out just how many g'huls there are here," said Jean-Claude, "Then, we discreetly tell everyone to be in position before it all goes down. Find out where its happening and I will ask Anjou telepathically to send her bats to that area. That way, we can see where everyone is hiding, and then we can counterattack. They think that they would be setting a trap for us, when, in actuality, they will be the ones spinning their own trap."

"Do you think it is going to be bad?" said Ren.

"Oh yes," said Jean-Claude, "There will be blood."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter XI

After doing some asking, Victor found out that there were eight g'huls that were bouncers, and they had nothing to do with the kids. In addition to this, Karin found out that there were 12 kids who were g'huls, and who were more than likely to be the missing teens. There were only three vampires, and they would more than likely try to expend the kids before they put out their bouncers. As they mingled, acting as if they knew nothing, however they were putting together a game plan piecemeal. They told Karin to try to get Yukiko out of there as fast as she could, but to keep her handy, because there would be a matter of deprogramming to come for her. The rest bided their time as Karin stayed close to Yukiko. As it approached midnight, Ren tapped into the bats that were overlooking the place where they were going to do the "initiation." Slowly, they noticed some teens leaving out, bit by bit, until about twelve were gone out the back. All twelve were out ten minutes to midnight. They were set into various places about the area getting ready to pounce after things were done. However, as they took position, an odd thing was happening unbeknownst to the renegades. Victor, Wiener, Yuriya, and Kenta were going to the places Ren said the kids would be, and slowly but surely taking them out one by one. For Kenta and Yuriya, it was easy, tapping into their abilities to put them out. However, Victor and Wiener could not be so gentle, having to give a good knock to put them out. As they did, they were quickly dragged out of the area and set in a nearby alley in safety, and bound hand and foot for their own good. This left the eight bouncers, of which they were able to find out nothing. This was about which Ren and Jean-Claude worried. They had to keep their eyes peeled, and their ears sharp. They could not afford to be jumped. Jean-Claude told Yuriya to have Kenta watch the kids, considering that he was not used to this kind of thing, and he was still not sure about his abilities. The rest were to return to various places about the area, and be ready to jump in if things went south. Karin was going out with Yukiko, when a large bouncer came out of nowhere and pushed her back to the wall, holding her there, and saying, "This is for your own good. I cannot let you go back there."

Karin struggled, but the more she did, the harder she was pressed. However, as a result, her blood was beginning to rise up. She did not know what was to follow.

It was now midnight, and Ren and Jean-Claude were meeting up with the three renegades that were in charge. Yukiko was already out back, seated in a folding chair, waiting for what she thought was a vamping out. The three were going out first, and Ren and Jean-Claude were trying to keep sharp, but before they could act, about six of the bouncers came out from various directions, and quickly subdued them. These were not some kids who were not fully aware of their abilities, but muscular men who had been well trained in blood use. Even though Ren and Jean-Claude were what they were, if these were normal mortals, it would not have been pretty. However, they were well trained as well; therefore, it was not going to be easy. They only hoped that the others might cause enough chaos for them to take on the bouncers one by one. As they were being dragged out, Karin heard the struggle, and fought harder, now tapping into her own blood in her own way, trying to free herself. "Missy, you'd better stop before you get hurt," and he increased his own strength, although he did not understand why he had to, unless this was a vampire as well.

Jean-Claude and Ren were dragged out to the area, and Yukiko started to wonder what the problem was. The lead vampire told her, "Oh, these two—they thought they could prevent your entrance into the world of the undead. Don't worry, though, we will take care of them for you."

"Wait," she said, "I don't understand—I came in with them. Who are you two?"

"Oh?" he said, "They came in with you?"

"Yeah," said one of the bouncers, "They're the two that socked it to us at the door. We didn't know what we were dealing with at that point. We know now!"

"Where are your friends?" asked the female.

"Maybe they got wise and left," said Jean-Claude, "I don't see them here right now."

The third vampire walked up and started to search Ren and Jean-Claude. Ren was clean, but they found the saber. "This was all I could find."

He examined the blade, and then realized that this looked the same as what had been described about the one d'amphile who was playing vigilante in the vampire world. "Wait," said the leader of the group, "I've heard stories about you: the half-breed that should have died and managed to escape his death sentence. Is that you?"

Jean-Claude just stared at him with a look that, if looks could kill, he would have been a pile of ash on the ground. He merely laughed, saying, "Oh please—do you really think some half breed would stand a chance with a vampire like me, much less with all his best soldiers around him?"

Yukiko was becoming frightened. She thought it was all a game, with the possibility that it just might be real, but now, all of a sudden, the vampire world was not looking very good. Yukiko started to get up, but the female said, "Where are you going? Sit down, it will all be over soon, and you will be with us."

The third vampire sat her down, and said, "Is this not what you wanted?"

"I didn't think it would be like this?" she said, "I didn't want to see anyone get hurt tonight."

The leader piped up and said, "Ah, but you see, they wanted to stop us. As chief vampire of this city, (turning a glance to Ren, not knowing that Ren was indeed the real chief's son,) I cannot allow renegades like these stopping things."

He then turned to Jean-Claude, put the point of the saber to his chin, and said, "It would be fitting, though, to kill you with the very blade that causes fear in our world, although I do not understand the fear from someone like you. I mean, you could not even keep from being captured. Don't worry, after we are done with her, you'll be dealt with."

"How do you even know if she is to your blood taste?" asked Jean-Claude.

The three vampires then laughed, and said, "Oh come on! You still play by that game. When are you going to realize that all blood is good, once you get a taste for it?"

Ren began to wretch, knowing now that these were the kind of renegades that were blood addicts, as if blood were a narcotic. They were the ones that would drain a person dry, and would cause the stories and myths to be accelerated, especially those that were now running around in the gothic-punk world. He continued, "This cow here would be nothing for me, except she does have some value as a slave. All that we have chosen do.  
At this, Yukiko's eyes opened, and she said, "Hold on, that's not…" but she was quickly restrained by the female as she tried to stand up. She said, "Silence, dog! You will submit! Your body will end up on the scrap heap with them!"

"Let's do this," said the third vampire, as he cut his own wrist, and prepared to feed it to Yukiko. This was not what she had expected, and now she wanted none of this. However, the leader, getting ready to take action, set down the saber as he stood within leg's reach of Jean-Claude—precisely the opening he was looking for. He said, growling, "The only scrap heap will be you and your stooges!"

The leader was now cross, angry that this mutt would still be defiant and stupidly fearless in the process. He walked over to deal with this, and said, "I have had just about enough…" and that was all he got out, as Jean-Claude kipped up and caught him in a head scissors and twisted his body around. This freed the hold from his arms by the bouncer as all three flipped over. Jean-Claude was the first to his feet, and the bouncer started to move forward. This was his last action, as Jean-Claude was so pumped up in rage that he threw too much into his punch and knocked off the head of the bouncer with one blow. Ren used this moment to use a force push on his captor. The blow sent both of them into a wall, but the bouncer caught the worst of it. He cried in pain as he let go of Ren, and Ren extended his fingernails, giving him a face rake. He screamed in pain, trying to heal up, but Ren turned his whole head around. Even though it would take a few minutes for him to die, even this goon could not heal himself enough to continue. The leader called for the kids to come out, and was horrified when no one emerged. Instead, the Sinclairs and Yuriya came out and pounced on the five remaining bouncers. Yuriya used the element of surprise to force push her opponent, and then immolate him. Weiner had one on him, and he seemed very much outmatched. He had all he could do to dodge all the bouncer's attacks. The bouncer then said, "Okay, you little mouse, you don't know what you are dealing with," and he began to empower himself.

In the meantime, Victor was more levelheaded, as he just stood, waiting for the bouncer to act. The bouncer laughed, and said, "Do you really think you can fight me, old man?"

Victor just calmly said, as he approached, "No, I do not," as he suddenly found two daggers thrown into his chest. This was followed by a rapier through his heart, and Victor said, "I am not a fool, and, now you see how I got to be an old man."

He then pulled out a pistol with a silencer, and said, "I know better than to charge in where angels fear to tread."

The now shocked bouncer could only stand paralyzed in horror as Victor put the pistol to his head and put the man's lights out. Victor then said, as he pulled out the rapier by yanking and kicking the man, "Youth and skill is no match for old age and treachery."

He then saw the difficulty that his grandson was having and went over to help. Wiener was not sure what he was going to do at this point, being that he could not carry his own rapier for the clothes that he wore, and was not even the physical match for this man. Then he remembered what his grandfather had taught him, and that was there was no such thing as a "clean" fight, especially in a situation like this. The rule was this: do whatever it took to survive. With that, Wiener made a knife-edge with his hand and thrust it into the throat of the attacker. He staggered back in distress, trying to get some air as Wiener followed up with an eye poke. He then found a trashcan and hit the man on the head as hard as he could. He was now half-conscious, trying to regain his faculties when he staggered around right into a solid tip swipe from Victor. It was so deep that, because of his dazed state, there was no way he could regain his faculties enough to heal himself before he bled to death. Victor said, "You need more time in the gym, boy, and to carry more weapons."

The remaining bouncer then decided that he wanted to engage in some hand-to-hand with Jean-Claude. He had the attitude that, because he was some westerner, there was no way he could match against the martial arts of the orient. What this g'hul did not understand was that, even though all his abilities were greatly enhanced, he might have been able to go toe to toe with a pure vampire for a time; he never faced a creature like what stood before him. Jean-Claude stayed a few inches outside of his furthest strike waiting for him to move. He charged in, and then found out that European martial arts can be just as deadly, especially when combined with Marine hand-to-hand. With in two seconds, one arm was broken, the other was dislocated, and then he suddenly found his leg bending at the knee in the wrong direction. In a blur, before the leader could grab it, he had his saber, and took off the head of the bouncer.

While all this was going on, Karin was beginning to blood up badly, and the one remaining bouncer did not know that he had a time bomb pinned against the wall. "Missy, you'd better calm down," but he then gained a look of horror as Karin brought her head down, fangs extended, eyes glowing purple, smiling broadly, and hissing! Though he was used to seeing vampires, he had never seen this, made worse by the fact that he did not know she was a vampire herself. The three vampires had quickly grabbed Yukiko, and were trying to head back into the club, hoping to use her as a bargaining chip. However, the third vampire who was holding her was knocked to the ground as the remaining bouncer flew out the door into him, followed by one very teed off vampire. Victor had seen this before, knowing just how powerful she was in this state, and actually felt a little for that bouncer. She was on top of him, pinning him to the ground, and she looked as if she were prepared to sink in her fangs, when Ren said, "No, Karin, get her out of here!" pointing to Yukiko. Despite being in this state, she still had enough of her mind to comprehend what was going on. She leapt up, grabbed her, and took the both of them out in one mighty leap, as she hissed, "Let's go!"

In the meantime, Ren, and the Sinclairs were making short work out of the third vampire, as Yuriya and Jean-Claude were following up on the remaining two. Jean-Claude was swinging the saber, but his opponent was quickly dodging the attacks, all the while taunting Jean-Claude. "You may be strong, mutt," he thundered, "but you are no match for us!"

He then found and picked up a half-inch pipe and started using it to parry the attacks. "You have no clue just what I am," said Jean-Claude, "Your kind's hatred created me! Your kind caused me to seek nothing more than to be the best of the best. I have trained for days like this longer than you think!"

He was keeping Jean-Claude at bay, but as the moments passed, he was finding it harder and harder to keep fighting. It was as if Jean-Claude was becoming stronger and stronger by the passing moment. What he did not see was the female coming up from behind with a broken broomstick, getting ready to thrust it through his back and heart. Yet, what she did not see was Yuriya coming up from behind, extending a hand. "Bad mistake," she said, "Now you die."

Suddenly, her whole body ignited at once. Screams were stifled by the roaring flames. Yuriya was so angry, she put a bit too much into it, but it had the needed effect anyway. Meanwhile, the lead vampire could not understand what was happening. He was becoming more and more unable to fend off the d'amphile. What he did not understand was that the combination of vampire blood and righteous indignation were an almost unstoppable combination. Jean-Claude then said, "What's wrong? I thought you were superior. Fool! I am not human, I am not vampire, but I am the worst of both!"

At that, the lead vampire suddenly found his arms removed from his body and Jean-Claude behind him. He pulled down his scarf, saying, "Now you shall know how it feels to be a meal," and he sank his fangs deep into his opponent. He screamed, more from shock than pain, to think that one even close to his kind would ever had the audacity to do what he was doing. When he finished, he then said, "Prepare to make your bed in Hell!" and, with one swift stroke, removed his opponent's head. By this point, the burning female was spreading the fire. At first, Jean-Claude did not want this, but then he realized that he had to cover their tracks somehow. Therefore, he told everyone to drag the bodies in, but to scatter them about the room, and to be certain that it looked like a fight had taken place and caused the fire. It could not look like arson. He knew the fire brigade would be there in time enough to put this out before it spread. However, he hoped that it would be long enough to keep too much of an investigation from happening. The bullet in the head of the one was a worry, but he knew the flames, and the damage they would cause, would prevent too much curiosity. All that would be assumed was that someone had been shot during the fight, and nothing more. "Let's get out of here," said Jean-Claude.

Meanwhile, Kenta was listening to the distant sounds of clanging metal, and even heard gunshot. The 12 teens were a combination of scared, shocked, and angry. One of them said, "Why are you doing this? What did we ever do to you?"

"It's not you," he said, "but you guys just have no clue how deep in it you were."

"What are you saying?" said another, "What's going on back there?"

As if it were an answer, Karin landed before Kenta, still vamped out, with a great big grin on her face. She smiled at Kenta and hissed. Kenta said, "Wow, twice in one night: must have been a lot of bad auras back there," saying it as if this were a common sight, surprising the teens back there. They had always thought that the blood they had received was human, and that all this biting by the club proprietors was just a part of the role-play. Seeing Karin, now they were not so sure anymore. Kenta said, "You have to release."

Karin hissed, "I know!"

However, even though Kenta was preparing for another infusion, he was surprised to see Karin pick another target. "Wait," he said, "I thought I told you that I was the only one you bite, unless I said otherwise," but she paid it no mind as she turned to Yukiko. Yukiko was shaking as if it were 20 degrees below zero. Karin stroked her hair and said, "Don't worry, you'll love this!"

With that, she sunk in her fangs. Yukiko squealed a bit in fear and from the prick of pain, and then began to relax as if she were experiencing something quite pleasurable. After about two minutes, Karin pulled out, now very calm. Yukiko was now unconscious, but Karin knew that she would awaken energized, and with a better attitude. Karin thought to erase her memory, but she balked, not knowing just how much to do, and then wondering if they could use this as something by which she could learn something. By this point, the rest of the posse arrived just as they watched Karin finish her "treatment." Ren then set out his hand, and put the 12 to sleep. He had to erase the sight of Karin doing her thing. He set things so that all the kids remembered was how they had been manipulated and brainwashed by the club owners into some kind of vampire cult, and how they all just wanted to go home. Once Kenta knew the game plan, he called the police anonymously, and then told them where they could find the kids. Meanwhile, they picked up Yukiko and headed for one of the nearest coffee shops.

By this point, Karin had put on Kenta's jacked, Jean-Claude took off his hat and scarf, and everyone was attempting to become more subdued. When they walked in, there was excitement as the fire brigade and the police screamed by. There was some stir when someone came in announcing that that local nuisance of a club was burning down, and that some missing kids had been found. Some had left to see what was happening, but the crew put two tables together. Jean-Claude paid for the whole thing, and Yukiko looked in a touch of a state of shock. However, one thing was certain, and that was she was staying as far away as she could from the ones she knew were vampires. She knew she could not run, so she pressed herself up against the wall in the booth she sat. Because of her uneasiness, Wiener sat across from her, and Victor sat beside her. Karin asked, "So, are you feeling better?"

Yukiko did not answer. She would not even look at Karin. She just sat there, nursing her coffee. Jean-Claude had to get her talking, so he figured that being frank would be the best. He said, "Well, you wanted to know, and now you know. However, what you saw tonight is not typical, and I am glad we were able to get you out of that. There is war brewing, and we would hate to see you in the crossfire."

She muttered quietly, and said, "I don't know what is typical anymore."

"Its going to be okay, Yukiko," said Karin, "You must feel more positive now," considering the sizeable infusion she had given.

"Odd," she muttered, "I cannot even think straight, and yet I don't feel depressed."

Yukiko thought for a moment, and then said, "But, Karin, you took my blood, really took my blood, and you didn't kill me."

Ren then said, "First, she cannot drink it, she creates it in her system, and distributes it. Second, everything in her works backwards: she walks in daylight, gives blood, makes blood to use her abilities, rather than take it—she is a un-vampire."

"Okay," said Yukiko, "Now I am confused."

Yuriya then said, "If there were any truths to the myths, and even if Karin was a normal vampire, would she not have killed you? Why did she let you live?"

"I dunno," she murmured, "Maybe she thinks me a friend?"

"The truth is," said Karin, "we are not like all the myths. We cannot make other vampires by biting and blood drinking. There is truth to the g'hul, and that is into which they had planned to turn you. We are NOT undead, but we are very alive."

Jean-Claude continued, saying, "Remember what I told you last week?"

"Yes," she answered.

"Well," he continued, "what I said I would believe if I believe IS what I know to be the truth. We are humanoid. We are to you as the vampire bat is to the bat. We want to live in peace, we do not murder humans, and we are even particular about our tastes in blood. Karin is attracted to unhappy people, Yuriya has her taste, Ren likes stressed out women, I like evil humans or vampires, and Karin's sister likes jealous young women."

Ren then came in and said, "When we drink, we temporarily remove from them those things, and for a time, they actually function better."

"Except for grandmamma," added Karin, "She is attracted to young lovers! She has created some interesting fights!"

Everyone laughed, and even Yukiko cracked a smile. Victor said, "Yes, Elda is a character, and quite some interesting company."

The two vampires and two d'amphiles looked over in amazement, and they said, "She's been coming round lately. She says I am a lot like Al was, and she is quite a charmer and good company for an old man. I can see where you get it from, Karin."

Ren, Karin, and Kenta looked at each other, very surprised at this. Karin said, "I don't know what you did that night when you told your story, but it must have shook her up."

"For the better, I hope," answered Jean-Claude.

Karin saw a bit of concession in Yukiko, and managed to slip up and sit across from her. She looked her in the eye with a loving and sympathetic grin, and said, "I'm sorry if I scared you back there."

She put her hands on top of Yukiko's and said, "Honestly, it's not in me to hurt the people that I like, and even then, it takes me getting into that state to lash out against anyone. They have to have really angered me for that to happen. Look, vampires are people too. We just want to live our lives like anyone. The only ones that are trouble are what you saw tonight, and even then, they are not many. We are not monsters, and you should be happy with you are."

"I don't know anymore," she said, "I only got into all that because I felt accepted, that people liked me for who I was, and they were not judgmental."

"Can you say that this has been true of all your peers?" asked Jean-Claude, "You are active, and in the student government. You have a great personality, and you are great to have around. You don't have to do things like that to get people to like you, just be yourself."

She hung her head a bit, and said, "I don't know who that is anymore."

Karin smiled broadly, and said, "Then maybe we can find that girl. Do you want to find her?"

Yukiko smiled, and said, "I would love to."

"Then I'll tell you what," said Karin, "Why don't you come with me, Maki, and Yuriya tomorrow. We can spend the day just being girls, and getting all girled up. Do you want to try?"

Jean-Claude smiled, and said, "Here, take this."

He opened his wallet, and handed out about 25,000 yen, and said, "Have a spree tomorrow, ladies, my treat!"

Ren, to make sure that all business was tended to, said, "It is only because I would desire Karin to have more friends is to have more eyes watching her in the daytime, for her safety. Normally, we would have erased your memory, but you would have gone back to all that, lost in vainly trying to find yourself."

"This way," added Jean-Claude, "you go away educated, and an ally. We needed to do that for you so your life can take a better turn."

"Understand, however," added Ren, "That what you have learned tonight must be kept a strict secret. Right now, we are just fighting for survival, and it is not yet time for us to be able to walk in the open. There are too many that believe the myths you did who would seek to kill us in fear and ignorance."

"Which is redundant," said Jean-Claude. Ren then continued, "If you were to try to expose us, we would then wipe your memory. However, because your knowledge is so extensive, we would have to take you back to day one. You would have to start all over again in a teenage body. Therefore, I would advise you to remain silent. Do you understand?"

"Very much so," she said, acknowledging the gravity of the situation. Jean-Claude then said, "Let's go home."

As the were leaving, the fire was under control, the police were questioning witnesses, and the 12 teens were being debriefed, being told that their parents would be informed, and, barring any records on them, they would all go home. It would take time to give a proper report. However, because of how odd everything seemed around the area, they were not certain if the whole truth in what had happened would ever emerge.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter XII

Boris was reading the headlines and did not like what he was seeing. There was another mysterious hit, 12 runaway teens that could not remember much about the club proprietors, save that it was some kind of Goth vampire club that got out of hand, several bodies charred beyond recognition, but apparently dead before they were burned, a few were decapitated, some had broken necks, and one had a bullet to the head, and all with bad lacerations. The fire had removed any chance at fingerprints, but what they found odd was that one of the proprietors had two puncture marks on the neck. However, someone jokingly suggested vampires, but the forensics people said it must have had something to do with the nature of the club. Whatever the case, all they could assume is that someone had taken the law into their own hands and did all this, and left no trace of who or what he or she was. Yet, Boris had a decent idea of what happened. Whoever did this had an extensive knowledge of vampires, knowing that beheading or burning were the only ways to kill one, and in order to kill a g'hul, one had to make a wound so fatal that there would be no way the g'hul could heal up before he died. They were very clever about covering their tracks, so finding out who was behind all this was like trying to find the needle in the proverbial haystack. He put more thought to it, and then he began to wonder if this were vampires. Only they could have wiped the minds of those teens that he was looking eventually to recruit for use as a useful idiot army in the upcoming fight. It had been a great spying location and recruiting station before, well, what could be best described as the wrath of God, descended on the place. If he, or they, had not been vampires, those kids would have spilled the beans, and then been locked away in a mental institution for what they claimed. By the efficiency, he knew it could not be Marker. Then he remembered what Nikoli had said before he disappeared about the boy half-breed that got away. He wondered how a half-breed could have become so powerful. If he had revenge on his mind, there is no telling what may have happened. He had to do some research about this one, because, if things had been severe enough in his past, they may have tried to squash a cockroach, and created a monster. For now, he had to find out how many of his crew were left, who they could recruit, who was the blood cow, who was defending her, and how to stop this killer. If they could not, all this may be over before it started.

The next day, Karin met up with Maki, Yuriya, and Yukiko, and the four of them went on a shopping spree. It was during this time that they found out that, Yukiko was not exactly in the money, and that both her parents had to work to make ends meet. She knew they loved her dearly, but they could not be there as much as she would have liked, especially during the critical years of personality shaping that was adolescence. She started doing things that would garnish her parents' attention, like the gothic punk scene, and subconsciously was looking to do more and more shocking things to get their attention. Psychologically, this would have been considered a primal scream for help. Well, the help came, but not they way she thought. She, at first, was still a little shy, wanting to stand off a bit, knowing what two of them were, but she got closer and closer as the day went on. The biggest help came by Maki. Being that she was the extrovert, and had a great ability to make friends, she was able to coax Yukiko out of her shell, and help to settle her about matters. They stopped for a small snack, and Maki pulled Yukiko aside to talk to her. "So, you having fun yet?" asked Maki.

"Some," answered Yukiko, "but if you knew what I knew, I think you would be uneasy too. Worse, for…well…some people's sakes, I have to keep quiet about what I know."

"Oh, what's that?" asked Maki "Is it the fact that Karin is a vampire that can walk in the sunlight and that Yuriya is a half human/half vampire?"

Yukiko looked at her stunned, trying to form words, "You…know…, but…I mean…how do you…doesn't it…"

"Believe me," said Maki, "it took a bit of getting used to myself. Karin and I have been friends for years, and I had no clue what she was. Neither did she, until she fully awakened as a vampire."

"Awakened?" asked Yukiko, "What do you mean? I don't get it."

"Okay, here it goes," said Maki, "Vampires are not made, they are born. They exist as humans at first, but as they get older, they begin to become more sensitive to the sunlight, and actually begin to hunger for blood. Because they grow up in a vampire family, they understand what happens. They are considered 'adult' when they make their first feed, and find out their blood preferences."

"Blood preferences?" asked Yukiko, "Now I am confused!"

"I'll explain in a minute," she said, "Now, once that first feed happens, they are instantly transformed. If that happens during daylight hours, they must instantly get inside before they are fried. Once they have reached "adulthood," They need to feed daily, but they only really need a pint or two to make it every day. Now, you passed me about blood preferences. Well, what that's all about is the fact that blood is sometimes affected by emotions, and to a vampire, it is something that they can taste when they drink blood. If they're able to find their blood preference, then, to them, it is the sweetest, most exhilarating taste. The byproduct of this is the fact that, whatever emotion they are attracted to, they siphon it off for a time. For example, the first time Karin's kid sister fed, she found out that she was attracted to jealous young girls. Oddly enough, I was her first feed."

"You mean she…she fed on you?" asked Yukiko.

"Yes, As a matter of fact," said Maki, "at that time, I was feeling somewhat jealous for Karin and Kenta, because the boy that I liked wouldn't even recognize me, and Karin hit it right off with the new guy. When she fed, she siphoned off that jealousy, helped me stay friends with her, and helped me come to grips with, and get close to, the one that I was seeking. Normally, a vampire will erase your memory after they feed, but, for some reason, her sister did not. Whatever the case, it was then I learned everything. However, because she is such a good friend, I kept silent."

"But how is she able to be up in the day, and Yuriya too," asked Yukiko.

"That's for two different reasons," answered Maki, "In Karin's case, because there had been a severe drop in the vampire birth rate, Karin was a once in a thousand year event. Her blood can make vampires fertile, and she creates it to bring back the population. In Yuriya's case, she is the offspring of a human and a vampire, as is Jean-Claude. However, they are a bit affected by the sunlight. As you see, Yuriya wears clothes that cover her skin well, and Jean-Claude uses sun block on exposed skin. They both wear tinted glasses. However, because of the mix, both are sterile. However, that might change by Karin here. That, yet, has not been tested. However, Yuriya and Jean-Claude, as well as Karin and Kenta having possible offspring, just might make things so that they can have children as well. Other than the blood feeding, and having to live at night, as well as some supernatural enhancements, they are just like us. Of course, they are nearly immortal, but they can die."

Yukiko was letting all this sink in, and she realized how stupid some humans must be to conjure up so much error and myth in vampires. All of it was due to fear and ignorance. There was no other way to put it. However, by this point, Karin and Yuriya became curious about the conversation, and came over to listen. Karin Then asked, "So, has Maki been educating you?"

"I guess," answered Yukiko, "it's just so weird that she can speak about it so nonchalantly."

"Don't worry," Said Karin, "I don't bite…much!"

That got a big laugh from everyone at the table. "Seriously though," said Karin, "You have nothing to worry about with us. Besides, knowing what we are, we're some pretty good friends to have."

"Come on," Said Yuriya, "We've got shopping to do!"

With that, they hit the clothes stores, found Yukiko a completely new wardrobe, and spent some time in a day spa getting all girled up. In time, Yukiko was having so much fun, she even forgot who and what they were, and was able to enjoy herself. She had forgotten how fun it was to have a day with the girls. By this point, it was about three in the afternoon, and there was an important rugby match for the school that afternoon. However, because it was still daylight, Karin wondered how Jean-Claude would handle 80 minutes without his sunglasses. This was an important game for the school, because playoffs were riding on this game. If they could win, they could secure place in the playoffs, and have a great chance at bringing home the championship at the end of the season. At this, the girls decided to go attend the game.

At the game, and right before the start, Jean-Claude had a set of Ray-Bans still on his head, and waited until the very last moment to take them off. He tossed them to a young boy who was working as a water boy, and proceeded to play the game. He seemed to be doing OK, however, several times during the match, he had to stop and rub his eyes. Every time there was an injury or water break, the boy came out with the sunglasses, and he put them on. He played well enough; however, he was playing a little below that of which he was capable. Nonetheless, they were able to secure the win, and enter into the playoffs. After the game was over, he had his sunglasses back on, and he was sitting on the bench hunched over. Yuriya came over and asked what the problem was, and he said that he had a splitting headache. He tried to rise to his feet, but staggered a bit. She steadied him, and said, "come now, you know what happens when you keep those things off for too long."

All Jean-Claude could say, was, "Please, Just help me home."

As they walked, Karin was on one side, And Yuriya was on the other, helping to steady him as they walked home. He said, "It's always hard on days like this. You would have thought I would've gotten used to this by now. However, I've got to keep up appearances, or people are going to ask questions. It would be hard for someone like me to explain why I do not participate in sports, and, of course, at this time of year, almost all sports are outside, and not everything is at night."

"But baby," said Yuriya, "Are you sure you have to do this? Couldn't you just wait for the wintertime and participate in sports like that?"

"I guess," he said, "but I have determined in my heart that I'm going to live as normal a life as possible. What I am is **not** going to be a handicap."

As they walked, Yukiko just had to ask, "Um…what's the whole deal with the sunglasses and everything?"

"Even though where half vampires," said John Claude, "there is still some residuals left over from that side, genetically. I have to wear sun block and these sunglasses even on a cloudy day. However, because the eyes are more sensitive than everything else outside the body is, and because the vision of the vampire is better than the average mortal, our eyes are more sensitive to light. On top of that, if exposed too long, my eyes could burn right out of their sockets. It would take me two or three days to grow them back, and a lot of blood. There are Many advantages to being what I am, and yet, many drawbacks as well."

The group walked slowly as Jean-Claude tried to regain his faculties. As they approached Kenta's house, He was able to start walking under his own power. As they passed, Karin looked at the apartment complex and wondered how long it would be before Fumio had to know what was going on, And then how long it would be before they would have to bring them up to the house, Or wherever her father could find safe haven for them. Since most of the events took place the night before, Henry would have to be briefed on what happened, and then everyone would have to figure out what was the next step.

The Jean-Claude decided that he was going to take a short nap before the Markers awoke; And Karen fetched that day's newspaper for her father. She wanted to have a look at it before her father did, so she could brace him for what he would read. Just as she suspected, the events in the club from the night before were front-page news. She took the time to read thoroughly through the article and to ensure that there was nothing that could possibly have exposed all of them for what they were. According to the article, the police were baffled at what was going on. The only witnesses claimed one thing, but the forensics was saying something else. The teens' testimony claimed some kind of vampire cult, and there was enough there to concur somewhat with that statement. However, the evidence showed the marks of fatal combat in the back alley, and that the fight indeed must have spilled back into the club. However, who fought who for what reason was beyond them. There were no narcotics, the money was all there, nothing was taken, and it was not murder, because there was enough there to show that this happened during the fight. The rooms with the beds were intact, and what they found in there showed that the destruction of the club was no real loss, and that indeed there was something shady going on in there. Just what did go on in there, however, was unknown to them, and they wondered if they could ever find out. The most baffling thing of all was how the fire began to start with. It seems that it started _after_ the fight was well underway. Second, the point of origin seemed to be one female with oddly elongated canine teeth. However, there was nothing on the body that showed any kind of substance on her that would have engulfed her in flames, and yet, it seemed her entire body ignited at once. It had to be written off to spontaneous combustion, but it was the oddest case that the fire marshal had ever seen. The bottom line was that this would probably be one that would never be solved, and create the kind of urban legends that would be believed more than the truth that would forever escape them. Karin let out a sigh of relief, knowing that there would be no way anything could be traced back to them. She was just finishing the article when her father entered. "What are you looking at?" asked Henry.

"How the press assessed last night's events," she said.

"I understand it got a bit hairy," he said.

"That is an understatement, papa," said Karin.

"Let me see that," he said. He then took the paper, and Karin said, "The short version is that, there is enough to keep them busy for centuries, but not enough to say that any of our kind was involved. Jean-Claude covers his tracks well."

Henry took all this in as he read silently. It was not so much what happened, as it was the severity that it all had to go to in order to resolve things. Henry thought for a moment, and then said, "Where were you in all this?"

"Out of most of the action," she said, "When it got hot, Jean-Claude shooed me off with what he called a casualty of the situation, and told me to get her to safety."

"I hope you do realize that you have to avoid danger," said Henry, "You are too valuable to the vampires now. Your blood is needed. We cannot lose you! I cannot lose you."

The last part caught Karin's attention, because of the different kind of concern with which it was said. She understood that her father was saying that he would be greatly saddened to lose his daughter, whether or not she was valuable to someone else. She came up and hugged him, saying, "I love you, papa!"

"My, my, my," said her mother, "Isn't that touching?"

With that, she brought a slipper down on her head, asking, "Going into things like that? What were you thinking?"

Though her head stung, Karin knew that this was her mother's way of saying that she was concerned. "Now, Calera," said Henry, "She was only concerned about her classmate, dear. That would be no different than her running into a burning building to pull any one of us out."

"That's not the point, Henry!" she screamed, "She is marching into danger! That's like asking to get killed."

"There's more to be concerned about than that," said another voice from behind. It was Jean-Claude, holding an ice pack to his head. He then said, frankly, "We need to talk."

In the living room, they all sat down, and Jean-Claude put forth his concern. He said, "They are searching for her, and fortunately, they have not figured out who it is yet. However, if we do not take an active hand to find out what is going on ourselves, no humanoid in this city is safe."

Henry and Calera both stared at Jean-Claude, wondering what in the world it was about which he spoke. He continued, "Those three vampires that were killed last night are a part of the faction that I have been chasing."

Calera shook her head, not believing what she was hearing. "We barely averted disaster the last time there was a battle over her."

"That was over who would get what," said Henry, "not about the things that he is concerned about."

"Indeed," concurred Jean-Claude, "That was over who would get her blood first, for what reasons, and so forth. This, however, is far worse. We are talking about urban legends amongst the vampire population that have been driving the ones that have been active in this city."

"Which ones are those?" asked Karin.

"They are the ones that say that the blood of a blood maker is the key to godhood," said Jean-Claude, "They spoke last night of you, not knowing that you were right under their nose."

"What are you saying that they will do?" she asked, now quite scared.

"They will keep you like a cow, and milk you for the blood you create, so they can keep themselves in power," he said, "They think your blood will turn them into super vampires. Of course, none of that is true. However, if they believe it bad enough, there is no telling what they would do. We have to act before they decide that concealing themselves would no longer be needed. If that happens, there are enough scared and paranoid humans out there who would call for the wholesale genocide of the vampire species."

"Could that really happen?" asked Henry.

"Well, this is what I envision," he said, "If they capture her, and they start doing their thing, thinking they are invincible, they will openly attack people. They may kill a lot of people, but they would be stopped. Then, vampires would be exposed, mass fear and panic would result, and what would happen would make the Salem witch trials look like a minor injustice, and make Hitler look like an amateur. That club was nothing compared to what we might have to face."

The room filled with thunderous silence. After about a minute, Henry finally said, "What is the next step?"

"We have to find them before they find her," said Jean-Claude, "and we also have to guarantee the safety of those closest to us. If they are able to trace things to Karin, then Kenta, Fumio, and Yuriya are all in danger. They would go after them, use them to get you all out in the open, take Karin, kill both you and them, and then the excrement hits the rotational cooling device."

"What are you suggesting?" said Calera, she not being sure she liked where this was heading.

"Well, the girl we helped last night knows everything," said Jean-Claude, "and that were only so she would not blow the lid off the thing. She may have to be concealed."

"More humans!" screamed Calera, "Why don't you just bring the mayor up here, or the emperor of Japan! Bring CNN while you're at it!"

Jean-Claude smacked his forehead and rubbed is face from top to bottom. He then said, "Mom, I am not talking about that, what I am saying is the safety of only those who either know, or would need to know. This would include Fumio. If things progress with Kenta as I foresee them, then Fumio would find out eventually, especially if the 33% chance that their offspring would be full blood vampires turned out to be so. Besides, if they tried to get at Karin through Kenta, this would lead to the use of his mother. If we had to defend their household with her not there, and she comes back to a trashed apartment, what would Karin or Kenta say? It could not be a wild party, with blood all over the place and bodies. We have to tell her as soon as we can, and shelter them here at night when they would be safe. With her aware of things, she could keep her eyes open during the daytime, and she would be less likely to be snatched by a g'hul. If it were a burden, I have enough to pay for any of her expenses. You could use her as a live-in maid, something like that. All I know is that she would have to know. If it came to it, Yukiko would have to come. If it really came down to all-out war for Karin, you would have to call in the council, and more foot soldiers. This place would then have to become a fortress, because it would be the only safe haven we could provide for the local community. Sadly, it would have to be limited, because I know there is only so much room up here. However, that is a worst-case scenario. Yet, we would have to be prepared."

"How would we avert this?" said Henry.

"We still have to tell Fumio," said Jean-Claude, "but the only thing we can do is find them first, whose in charge, where they and their allies reside, and strike first—whittle them down to something we can get rid of discreetly."

"That seems harsh," said Calera.

"To quote George Orwell in one of his most public sayings," said Jean-Claude, "If you discover your enemy wants to put a bomb in your mother's house, you put one in his house first. As Sun-Tzu once said, an object of war is to turn a defensive into an offensive. Right now, we are on defense. We have to change that. The first chance we have to counterattack, we must take it."

"What is the best way to tell this to Fumio without her going crazy?" asked Henry.

"Leave that to Karin and Yuriya," said Jean-Claude, "I know that Karin has a rapport with her, I know that she could ease her into things."

"Perhaps I could help," said a new, quiet voice. Jean-Claude smiled and asked, "How long have you been listening, Corn Muffin?"

"I slipped in when you started talking," she said, "I knew that something was up when I saw the newspaper, so I came in to listen. My life is on the line as well. I am in just as much danger, and I would like a say in how it is defended."

"Thank you for the wake up call, Corn Muffin," said Jean-Claude, "You are just as much a vampire and member of this family as anyone here. Yes, your life is valuable, too. Believe me, just as much as the rest of the family would say this, if so much as one hair on your head was out of place because of them, then what I shall do to them would end up being legendary, even in Hell."

She came up and said, "I love you, Big Brother," as she hugged him, and then she said, "But just let it be Karin and I with Kenta. I think we can make it happen."

"Then we leave it to you," said Henry.

"We shall go tomorrow night," said Anjou, and it was settled. Anjou then said, "And now, if you will excuse me, I'm hungry, and I must go feed."

"With all the trouble around, I'm coming with you;" said Jean-Claude, "Just let me get ready."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter XIII

They made their way into the part of the city Ren liked to frequent, because Anjou was certain she could find some jealous girl that had been jilted by him, or some kind of spat that she could use. Jean-Claude was in his normal hunting clothes and walked along side Anjou. He really did not need to feed, considering the events of the night before; however, clobbering some thug would not be such a bad thing. Considering the neighborhood, Jean-Claude almost hoped someone would walk up and say something to Anjou. However, with him standing there, no one seemed to pay them any mind. Before long, they found Ren, he had one girl on his arm, and there was another screaming at the other girl, saying that she had better get her paws off her man. The other girl, just laughed as the two of them went on. Ren waved his hand before her eyes, just enough to pause her brain while they went their way. The other girl stood there steamed, not knowing what to do. Jean-Claude kneeled down, and said to Anjou, "Play like you're a lost little girl that wants to go home. Get her talking and take her to the park. I think you know what to do from there."

"Of course, Big Brother," she said, with her normal blank expression, "That's one of my normal traps."

"Well, looks like you got this under control," laughed Jean-Claude, who added, "I won't be far behind."

Anjou played her cards right, and gained the sympathy of the woman. As they walked, she started to talk to Anjou, as if she were someone that could help her, or at least feel sorry for her. Anjou let her talk until they reached the park near Kenta's place, and they sat down. Anjou started to snuggle close to her, and then said, "I can help you with that jealousy."

The woman stroked her hair, saying, "You're sweet, honey, but, how could someone your age understand what I am feeling?"

She did not notice Anjou inching closer to her, fangs extended, and by the time she realized what was happening, Anjou was sinking in her fangs. She wanted to scream, but she could only manage a squeal from the initial pricks, and then she sat quiet as Anjou fed. She moaned as if she was enjoying the experience, and then Anjou released her. Unfortunately, she lost her grip, and she began to fall. Jean-Claude came out of nowhere and caught her. He set her on the park bench as Anjou erased her memory of meeting her. They then found a park bench out of sight where they could talk.

"Now, you have a great technique," said Jean-Claude, "I just hope you can improve on that as you age. You won't be able to keep that up for long."

"I know," she said blankly.

They sat quiet for a few minutes, and then Anjou said, "There was more than looking after me that brought you out, wasn't it?"

"Can't hide anything from you, Corn Muffin," conceded Jean-Claude, "In fact, I do want to ask you a few things."

"Like what?" she asked.

"I like the fact that you want to be close to me," he said, "I've never had a little sister to look after before, and it's kind of nice."

"You make me feel safe," she said.

"Is that the only reason?"

Anjou though for a moment, and then she said, "You had a nightmare on the way here, didn't you?"

His face turned white, and his jaw went slightly agape as she said this. He slowly turned to her and said, "How did you know?"

"You know much about your ability," she said, "but there are a few things you need to learn yet."

"So, what happened that night?" he asked.

"It must have been a very disturbing dream," she said, "because you let out a primal scream that, if a vampire is tuned into it just right, they hear it like a distress signal. Both Karin and I were tuned in that night."

"I would not know how to apologize, Muff," he said.

"There is no need," she said, "It's something that happens."

"What else was there about it?"

"You were only a bit younger when it happened, wasn't it?"

He started to tear up, which was rare these days. The pain he felt that night when his whole life was shattered was buried deep. However, it only took the right things to dredge them up, and he was gone in tears. "Oh, God, Anjou," he said, "After all these years, it still hurts!"

He threw off his hat and pulled down the scarf as he began to bawl like a baby. She inched over and leaned her head on his shoulder as she hugged his arm. She said, "I sense that you have not ever had the chance to truly mourn for your family, have you?"

He started to cry louder, and she was glad that there was no one near enough to come over to examine the sight. "Why! Why!" he cried, "Mommy, Daddy, I miss you so! Oh God, why couldn't they just leave us alone? We didn't hurt anyone! We didn't do anything wrong! I want them back! I WANT THEM BACK!"

"I feel for you, Big Brother," she said, "because I think I could understand how you feel if you lost everything."

He looked up with a tearstained face and reddened eyes, fangs extended from the emotional release. He shook his head, not sure where she was going with it. She then said, "As you know, when vampires mature, and awaken, they can essentially fend for themselves, its just that I awakened younger than most. Karin and I were close, and, if she had been a normal vampire, I think that I would still have contentment. When she awakened, and turned out to be what she is, I knew that it was only a matter of time before we would not be able to be around each other. The spirits that used to live in Boogie-kun and my other dolls ceased to be when I awakened. I lost my sister, and those friends. I have my brother and my parents, but, because we are all awakened, we are not as close as we could be. I am in a house full of people, and yet I am alone. Then you came along. You live in the day too, but you don't treat me like a wall ornament when we are together. Neither does Karin, but I don't see as much of her as I want."

Feeling a bit calmer, he said, "I can't do that to people. I care so much for people."

"That was because of your family," she said, "They taught you more than you realize."

Now, she had his full attention, amazed that such a young mind possessed such wisdom. She then sat back beside him, and said, "Perhaps _I_ feel a bit jealous of you, because, you, for a short time, had what I once had, and more, in fact, and learned what it meant to love people. Karin taught me that, but I wish I could see her more. You, however, seek me out, and want to spend time with me. You have no idea how good that feels…well…then again, maybe you do."

At this, she cracked her characteristic Mona Lisa grin, and he returned it with a grin of his own. She then said, "What's more, you are trying to reach out to everyone else in the same way, and I think it's having an effect."

He raised his eyebrows at her, as if to say, "Do you really think so?"

"Don't stop trying," she said, "because, even brother doesn't see you as a foe anymore. You have fought shoulder to shoulder with him, and watched his back. He now, sort of, wants you around. If you keep this up, you just may make us close, the way it should be."

"Are you saying that you were once close?" he said as he blew his nose.

"I am saying that, because of Karin, and their complete misunderstanding of her situation," she answered, "we never really had a chance to be close. Mother never really could be the mother she wanted, father began to sit back and let mother control more, and everyone has been so uncomfortable."

"Has that changed?" he asked.

"Some," she said, "Mother is softening a bit, and father is becoming more assertive. He always has been. Has he told you about when Karin had her first nosebleed, and what he did?"

"Like I could forget that story!" he said, "He really does care."

"Yes, but," she said, "but mother, because she didn't know how to handle the situation that was thrust on her, she has never allowed us to become as close knit as we could be."

"Yet, now Karin is of value," he said, "I would think that she and her mother could get a better rapport."

"I don't know," she answered.

"That's nonsense," he said, "It's never too late to start over. I think I need to talk to her tomorrow while you and Karin are fetching the Usuis."

"I'm not sure that would work," she said, "But you are welcome to try."

"I think I am going to talk to Karin tonight as well," he said, "I think that there is something there, because, if we can get close, she has no excuse. I think she is avoiding you."

She looked him in a bit of surprise, and then he asked, "Was she there when you awakened?"

Anjou looked down, and said, "Yes, and it was her best friend."

Jean-Claude leaned back on the park bench, sounding like he just had an epiphany, and said, "That explains it."

"What explains what, Big Brother?" she asked.

"She is so used to being in the human world, and because of how you described the situation in your family," he said, "she has never really seen herself as a vampire, or has as much of an ability to relate. Yes, let me talk to her. She needs a wake-up call, and she owes you an apology."

"You say it's never too late to start over, right?" she asked.

"That's right," he answered.

"Then," she said, "I know you can never get them back, but I think they would love it if they knew you found a new family, and that you just may be able to heal the riffs enough to give the both of us what we have always wanted. Help make us a complete family, Big Brother. You can beat them if you can get back more than they took."

A wave of emotions came over Jean-Claude again. She was indeed a kindred spirit. Both of them had been stranded on mental desert islands, looking for rescue, and they now had each other to get each other "home." His heart started to race, and he started to tremble. He then snatched her up and held her tight, saying, "Oh, thank you, child! Thank you, Jesus! God willing, I will insure that you never be alone again, no matter what happens next! If I were to have to live at night, just to insure it, I would do it! I love you so much!"

She kissed his cheek and hugged his neck, and he said, "Let's go home!"

He held her as he scooped up his hat, and he carried her all the way.

While they walked, he started to meditate on what he wanted to say to Karin. The one thing that stood out to him was that she needed to come to grips with whom and what she was, as well as to get a grip on what her family is. She also had to realize that, by having the mentality that she had, she was, in reality, saying that she was ashamed of what she is, and what they are. That had to change! She needed a mental slap in the face! In truth, by thinking like this, she was really only thinking of herself. She stepped all over Anjou's toes, and she needed to make it right. Things might have been better in the household, yet, just because the rest of them needed to learn how to be closer, that did not mean that she did not have to heal the rifts that _she_ had created, and she had created them! He hoped he could catch her before she went to bed that night.

He set Anjou on the porch before they entered, and then he began to put some steel into his resolve, because what he needed to say was going to be harsh. He had always appreciated what it meant to have a family, but this little one had sharpened that appreciation to razor sharp, and now he was going to teach some people how to appreciate it, starting with Karin. He knew she might feel like she was being unfairly picked on; in fact, she may not even realize what she had done, and that had to be made clear. Once it had been, he knew she would not feel so picked on anymore, and then go make things right. Calera and Henry saw him with a determined face, and asked him what the matter was. He stopped, looked at them, and said, "A selfish girl is about to get a psychological spanking. Anjou and I just had a long talk, and I'll say more later. For now, whatever happens out back on that porch, pay no mind to it, and insure that she doesn't run away to you."

Calera looked at him shocked, and said, "What in the name of common sense are you planning to do?"

"A certain little vampire needs to learn truly who and what she is, and how her behavior is actually flying the proverbial finger at her own family."

Now they looked at him oddly, and said, "What do you mean!"

"For a vampire, she's too human!" he said, "I know that sounds odd coming from me, but learning to love myself, and love people for who they are was instilled in me long ago. In order to be that way, mom and dad made me well aware of who and what mother was, as well as what I could be, and that I had to accept mother's behaviors. In other words, having to feed was just a part of life, and we cannot deny what we truly are. If we do, we lie to ourselves, and we become miserable, and, as such, we never find our place in this world. If Karin continues like this, eventually, she will start to hate herself, and she will be miserable for the rest of eternity. She needs a wake-up call!"

The Markers both nodded, now clearly seeing his point. They let him go, because, sometimes, hearing it from someone other than your parents can get through where they could not.

He stomped up the stars and knocked on her door, saying, "Karin, are you still dressed?"

"Yes," she said, "I was just getting ready for bed."

"Wrong!" he said, with some authority in his voice, "You are coming out now, because you and I are going to have a little talk!"

"Can't it wait?" she said.

"No!" he snapped, "because Anjou has been filling me in on some things, and I do NOT like what I hear!"

There was about five seconds of silence, and then she snapped back, "Who do you think you are, talking like that to me?"

That did it! He flung the door open, saying, "I'm your big brother!", and he scooped her up onto his shoulder as if she were a sack of potatoes. She screamed, and started to hit his back and kick. The blows to his back meant nothing, and he restrained her legs. She screamed, "Daddy!" but it was to no avail. Anjou just sat in her room, concentrating on the bat that was watching the back porch. He took her downstairs, past her parents, (of whom she begged profusely for help, and they acted as if they were not even there,) closed the door behind him, and plopped her down on a bench. "What in the world got into you!" she thundered.

"I was about to ask you the same question!" he said through his teeth. He then asked, "Why did you treat your sister like a freak when she awakened?"

That hit her like a kick in the head. Now she knew what the deal was, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to deal with it at that moment. She started to bolt, but he caught her in one arm, and put her back down, a bit more forcefully this time. She begged for help, and she was quite being ignored. Jean-Claude then said, "Don't even try to vamp up with me, either, because I can be worse than you! That's ironic, too, considering how you see yourself compared to your own family!"

She stared at him, wondering what he was going to do next. He then said, "Karin, you have been around humans so long that you have forgotten what it truly means to be a vampire."

"Don't give me that!" she snapped, "I well know what I am! How could I forget, with them constantly reminding me?"

He sighed, calmed down a bit, and said, "Yes, they need to apologize for that too, because they dealt with it wrong as well. There is enough blame for everyone. Yet, look…because of the way things went, I think that, deep down inside, you don't want to be a vampire, do you?"

She wanted to protest, but she was beginning to get an epiphany of her own. For years, Calera had always made her to feel ashamed for being a blood maker, but now she realized how foolish he had been, considering how it had been in ignorance that she acted the way she did. In her own way, Calera did apologize, but there had to be more acceptance from her. On the other hand, she had always wished that she could have been human, because she never would have had to put up with as much as she had over the years. "Maybe you're right," she conceded, "maybe I have wished to be human. Yet, I think you can understand why?"

Jean-Claude thought for a moment, and began to wonder if he had overreacted a bit. He then probed this by saying, "Let me ask you this: because your sister was the only member of your family that could be up in the daytime, did you think that, maybe, it could last?"

"You know," she said, "I never really thought about it."

"Could it be then that you always secretly—even subconsciously—wished that she were a human?" he then asked, "Was it because you did not want to lose her to the inevitable?"

She hung her head, and said nothing, which was just as good as an answer for Jean-Claude. "Thus, what did was lie to yourself for years, hoping that things would not change, and ultimately convinced yourself that it would not change, right?"

She started to tear up, now seeing where things were going. She then said, "Yet, can you blame me? I mean, I knew that I was trapped from my own family for something that wasn't my fault. I had to be independent, somehow. So, can't you see why I got so close to Anjou?"

Now, a bit of the anger returned to Jean-Claude, realizing that, even though Calera owed her daughter much in the way of apology, and not learning to bond to her daughter, it was no excuse for Karin. He said, "Karin, just because you have been separated—somewhat—in this way, that did not mean that there was no hope. They had to extend a hand to you, but you have to do something too! You could have made the effort to find a way to get close and overcome things. You could have met them halfway, at least!"

Karin was beginning to get it, but Jean-Claude did not think that she was getting it enough. He took a risk. "Karin, look at me," he said. She looked up, and saw him vamped out. He looked so different this way, and a bit scary. He said, firmly, "Karin, you are a vampire. Your family is vampires. What does this mean? It means that you—we—do not deal with this world in the same way. We cannot ever see humans in the same way other humans do. They can be our friends, and our allies, even one can be your husband. At least, I think so. Yet, Karin, they are also our food! You may not be able to relate fully, because you don't feed, you give. However, we are what we are. We cannot change that. The same feeling of peace and ecstasy you get when you release is the same one we get when we feed. It is hard for you to see it that way, because you live amongst them as a peer. Yet, so do I. However, just because they are peers to me does not mean that I will not do what I must. I am happy that I have the taste that I have, because it gives me a great excuse to do what I do. However, if it were something else, it would not matter to me. I have to feed. I cannot live otherwise. You have to release, or, as you have seen, you may just have the one big nosebleed that does you in. Why did it shock you when Anjou awakened? You knew what she was—what she is. You treated her like she wasn't even your sister to the point that you were shocked at what she did."

"But, why Maki?" she said, now openly crying, "Why did it have to be her?"

He shrugged his shoulders and asked, "Why not?"

She snapped to her feet, vamped out, and said, "Because she is my best friend!"

He growled, and said, "You'd better put those fangs back, missy, or it's going to get bad for you!"

She saw herself in the window, and she was shocked at what she saw. She had seen her reflection before when she had been like this, but not like this time. She really did not look human anymore. Jean-Claude went with it, got behind her, marched her up to the window, still vamped out himself, and shouted, "That's right, Karin, take a good long look! You are not one of them! You are a vampire, and it is high time you started to accept that! Yes, your friend was her first! Yet, to Anjou, she was not nearly as close, and to her, she was just another meal! However, did it hurt her? NO! Did she mean Maki any harm? ABSOLUTELY NOT! In fact, she ended up helping you, because…well…I am going to tell you something she may have never told you, and you may not want to hear!"

By this time, Karin was almost hysterical, and because of that, she could not retract what she looked like at that moment, though she desperately wanted to. "No, I don't want to know," and she tried to plug her ears, but he then restrained her arms. "Maki was jealous of you and very angry at you that day!" he said.

"Stop it, Stop it!" she wailed, "I don't want to hear any more!"

"She despised the fact that you could get any boy you wanted, and she could not get one for herself," he said not relenting.

"No, not Maki! Please, oh, please stop!" she begged, but he had none of it.

"She could not accept that she may not get the boy she wanted, because you were in the way!" he continued, "However, if Anjou had not come along, you may have never been friends again. Because of what she did, she learned to accept things. Because of that, her true self came through, and she won him! You owe your sister greatly!"

She was now trying to raise her blood to fight him, but he was just as stubborn, and said, "Remember who taught you that, missy!"

He thought for a moment about rising blood, and then he said, "In fact, you must think we hurt people, because you think that this is what you do, isn't it!"

That was something that she could not deny, no matter how she wanted to. He said, "You avoided biting Kenta all that time, risking bleeding to death, because you thought that you were going to hurt him, and because you despised the fact that you had to act like a vampire! I dare you to tell me I'm wrong!"

There was no avoiding the truth now. She was being forced to face herself, and she realized now how wrong she had been. She collapsed to the porch floor, weak and sobbing. She was then able to retract things, and he followed suit. He then said, "Why are you ashamed of what you are, (and don't tell me it is because you were made to feel this way.)"

"I…just…" she chocked out, trying to find the right words, "Why did it have to be this way?"

She then began to regain her resolve, and she then said the one wrong thing, "How can you know how it feels?" and then she put her hands to her mouth, suddenly realizing what she had just said. Rage began to flood him, and Anjou, who had been watching the whole time, said, "That was stupid, sister."

Henry and Calera, who had been listening in, cringed at what was about to happen, and stood ready if Jean-Claude got out of hand. What no one knew was that Ren had returned from his feed, and came in time to catch the spectacle. He thought to himself, "That was dumb, but, it's about time you faced this sister."

Jean-Claude vamped out again, but this time, in a way that would strike fear in the bravest of men. "HOW…DARE…YOU!" he thundered loud enough to wake the dead. "HOW CAN I KNOW HOW IT FEELS? YOU HAVE NO CLUE HOW IT FEELS. I DID NOT ASK FOR MY LIFE! I DID NOT ASK MY PARENTS TO BE BRUTALLY MURDERED! DID I ASK TO BE HUNTED BY HUMANS AND VAMPIRES ALIKE! OH, GOD, WHAT I WOULD GIVE TO GET IT ALL BACK, TO MAKE THINGS DIFFERENT!"

The words echoed off the hill, and he figured that it was only the hand of God that restrained him from throttling her. He started to breathe deeply, in an attempt to calm down. He began to quiet a bit, and said, "Neither of us asked for our lot, and God only knows why he allowed it. Yet, Karin, know this: because of the way that I believe, I know that, even though things have been the way that they have been, I have learned that it is either accept things for what they are, or just curl up and die. God gave us this, so we make the best out of it that we can. The first thing is that we have to learn to love and embrace what we are. Even though it is a hindrance, we are still special, and can do good things with what we have been given. Some may call us monsters, but one man's monster is another's hero. Yukiko should have taught you that. I did not ask for my life, and to be what I am, but, on the other hand, it can be fun being different if you have a healthy attitude about it. Just because we feed on humans does not mean that we necessarily hate them. That comes to some vampires for other reasons. We also do not think them lower than us because we do feed on them. Do you think the vampire bat thinks himself better than the cattle he feeds on? Do you think he hates the cows? Some vampires even appreciate humans because they are our sustenance. We know that, without them, we would be dead. If enough vampires thought like that, they would not hate so much. If enough humans realize that we mean no harm, and that what we do can actually help them, then they would not hate us. Hey, they may even seek us out, asking us to feed! Now, wouldn't that be a sight! This is why I believe that both sides can get along. You are different, and that's okay. Don't think of yourself as a freak, think of yourself as a happiness dispenser, because of what your infusions do for people. Take a look at the abilities that have awakened in you, and ask yourself, 'How can I do my fellow man some good with what I can do?'

I guarantee you, if you start thinking like that, you will learn to love yourself, because you can do for people what they cannot do for themselves. That is what I do, and in a major way! When you do, people will see you differently. They will like you, because you love yourself, and exude a confidence in which they can find strength! Did you know that your sister, even though they cannot hear, thanks the people she bites, because they were able to sustain her? Is that the heart of someone that seeks to hurt people? In fact, I bet, if you talk to Maki about it with your sister, you will all get a big laugh about it?"

The mood was becoming noticeably lighter, because Karin was now beginning to accept things for what they were, and realized how much of a fool she had been. At the same time, she was finding a new appreciation for being someone that was different, even amongst her own kind. Jean-Claude helped her to her feet, and said, "We cannot help how other vampires and d'amphiles see humans, but that should not dictate how you see them. What other predator in this world could call its food its friend at the same time?"

He looked her in the eyes, and said, "I think there are some fences you need to mend."

She smiled through her tears, and said, "I think you are right."

Karin went into the living room, and said, "Mother, father, I am sorry. I have been acting ashamed of you for what you are, and I am such a hypocrite. I should know better, and I am sorry for how I have acted towards you. Just because you live at night did not mean that I could not have learned to reach out to you, and have a relationship. Can you ever forgive me?"

Calera and Henry both got up and embraced their daughter, and Calera said, "Please forgive me for trying to push you away. I should have tried to do more to learn how to accept you, and live with things. I should have not been so embarrassed about you that I worried too much over what so-called friends thought. You are my daughter, and no matter what, I have always loved you, and I still do."

After a time, Karin said, "I have to go see Anjou."

She went upstairs and she was about to knock on the door, but Anjou said, "Please, come in."

Anjou was sitting on her bed, wearing the hair clip with the snowman on it that Karin had bought her for her birthday, and that set her off again. She collapsed on Anjou's bed, crying and apologizing. Anjou said, "I forgave you long ago, because I knew you were going through a hard time yourself. I know we can be close again."

"I'll make a way," said Karin through her sobs, "I swear it: we do not have to be apart! I am so happy you awakened. Now you can be yourself. I wish I just could have been there to help you face it, you know, leaving all of your childhood behind. You were always there for me. How can I make it up to you?"

"Just be my sister, and my friend from now on," said Anjou, "and help me through this dark world we live in as best you can. I know that you can."

Though no one realized it at the time, the Markers became a full, true family for the first time. It was not just the bonds of being vampires that bound them now, but it was also the bonds of love.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter XIV

By this time, Jean-Claude was heading back to his own room, thoroughly exhausted by the day's events. He really wanted to get some sleep now. However, Ren intercepted him, and he said, "Thank you for proverbially knocking some sense into her."

"Hey, that's what big brothers are for, Ren," said Jean-Claude.

"I know," he said, "which makes me wonder how you got through to her and I could not."

"It depends on the approach," said Jean-Claude, "For her, it was the direct approach, and, maybe, more direct than what you may have tried in the past."

"I would admit," he said, "it was more direct."

"Plus," added Jean-Claude, "You have to know the source of the problem, and go after that. How much did you see?"

"I got back just in time to see you drag her to the back porch," said Ren, "and I said to myself, 'This could get interesting.'"

"Well, I hope I got through," said Jean-Claude.

"I think you did," said Ren, "and yet, there is something that I have to ask."

"Fire away," said Jean-Claude.

"Why did you say that about getting along with humans?" asked Ren.

"I believe it," answered Jean-Claude.

"Then maybe its time someone gave _you_ a wake up call," probed Ren.

Jean-Claude looked at him a bit out of the corner of his eye, stroked his chin, and said, "Are you saying that I am dreaming?"

"I don't understand how you think it could work when you know what happened with you," said Ren.

Jean-Claude took a few moments to chew on this one, and then said, "You know, I don't know what you may have seen, but one thing I have learned is how to make the best of a bad situation."

"I cannot see how you can adhere to a God that allowed all that he did to you," said Ren.

"Are you saying that he was unjust for all that?" asked Jean-Claude, knowing that he had gone through this line of questioning before.

"The mixing of the two worlds would never work—we're too different," answered Ren.

Jean-Claude turned to face Ren, smiled, but looked Ren right in the eyes. He said, "What I told Anjou earlier tonight was true. I miss them, I ask why they had to die like that, I would love to have it different, but none of that is ever going to happen. I don't like it, but I have accepted it. Yet, you want to know something? I don't blame God for it."

Ren looked surprised and stared him. He then smiled, and said, "Now who is lying to who's self?"

"I don't," said Jean-Claude, firmly, "and there are reasons."

"I can't wait to hear this," said Ren, "Lay it on me!"

"By all means," said Jean-Claude, "It is easy to love God when everything is going well. It is a whole other matter when things are going poorly. I know you are not a believer, but I would challenge you to read the book of Job, even if you think it is myth, for in there is a great moral lesson. He lost far more than I did, and yet he refused to blame God. When he was even near the point of death, but did not die, he would not curse God. He even wished for death, it never came, and he did not curse God. Even though he still had an issue with pride, he still knew God would bring him out the other side of the trial as if he had been gold tried in the fire. His friends were convinced that God was punishing him for his sins, and he proved that this was not the case. He only accusatively questioned God's authority to do this to him, because he knew of nothing that he had done to deserve what he received. God finally showed up, and in laymen's terms, told him to stand up like a man, and asked him if Job were there as He laid the foundations of the earth. Everyone's sin was the fact that they thought they knew the mind of God to the point where they were trying to tell God why and how He should do things. Yet, God told them that He does what He wants, and we have no place to question it. Instead, what we should do is see what we are supposed to learn out of the trial, and say to God, 'If you will not get me out of it, get me through it.'

When this is our attitude, then we can see the lesson. Who knows? There may be I time where I will meet someone who has faced what I have, and be able to give them strength through the trial. God knows that there are problems between our worlds, and I wonder if He thinks there may be a way that the two could mesh. If that is the case, who is to say that I didn't go through this so I could learn to stop it from happening again. I could have been a raging beast, but God, through many others, turned me into an avenging angel. I will admit it wasn't until tonight that I finally found the time properly to mourn their deaths, and that is still running around in me a bit. However, it was because of that conversation with Anjou that I now understand even better what I already believed. God did not take all that I had away from me unless He had something greater that He wanted to come out of it. Besides all that, just like Job got back twice all that he lost for facing the trial, defeating the trial, and had the last part of his life more blessed than the first, I, even this night, realize that I have gotten back far more than I lost. I got the victory over the trial, the right result came, and God gave back more than He took. God doesn't just take everything from you when He is testing without having giving it back in mind when you come through. The Devil thought to destroy me, but all he made was someone that was going to wreak havoc on his kingdom. I wish it had not happened this way, but would I have had the attitude that I have now?"

Ren wanted to say something, but then he realized that it would be useless. How could he answer? He did not know if he could even attempt to respond to it. Jean-Claude then said, "If things did not turn out this way, what would have happened that night you were almost mugged? What would have happened when those four renegades showed up? Where would Karin be right now? Where would Yukiko be? Would Elda be the way she is right now? Would I have a bigger family than the one I lost? Would you be wining human allies like this? The gap can be bridged, but it would take some time. However, until that time, I'm going to continue to play avatar, and protect both worlds from attack from without, and strife from within. It's all I can do. It's either be like this, or curl up and die in a corner saying, 'O woe is me,' begging for pity that I know I would never get from others. Just because some humans did you dirty when you were younger does not represent all humans. Educate them, and you remove fear. Remember, fear is ignorance in a panicked state."

Ren thought that he was going to straighten out Jean-Claude, but he was the one that got a lesson. Jean-Claude started to enter his bedroom, but then came back out, looked at Ren, and said, "Oh, by the way, even if you want to keep that chip on your shoulder, just remember that a bad attitude on your part does not constitute a problem on mine. Because if you want someone to feel sorry for any slights you received in your youth, you can forget it, because it isn't going to happen. I welcome you to the real world, Ren—its time for you to grow up. Good night."

He closed the door, and Ren stood there staring at the door for a good ten minutes. He wanted to become mad, but he did not know how. Jean-Claude was right, and he wanted so desperately for him to be wrong. That was not the way that he wanted things to go. Instead of trying to help rid Jean-Claude of what he considered pipe dreams, Jean-Claude turned the tables on him. It wasn't as much what the answer had been as much as it had been how he answered it. It was the answer of a man that was so convinced of what he believed that he could not be talked out of it, and would have laughed at the attempt. Maybe there was something to it? He left the house to walk and think. He wondered if he could have been able to react the same way if the same thing had happened to him. What did Jean-Claude have that he did not?

On the next morning, Jean-Claude and Karin went down to Kenta's place, and asked if he could come out for a bit. Kenta wondered why Jean-Claude was not in a church, but Jean-Claude had his reasons. He had tried at one time, but what always happened was that people would start asking too many questions, and trying to find out more about his private life than he cared. Rather than lie, which he knew was wrong, he had to stay away, and write it off as one of the casualties of the situation under which he had to exist. At this time, she said what was being planned. Kenta was not sure if telling his mother was a good thing. She said, "Kenta, one day, she is going to find out. If we are going to get married, there will come a point where we will not be able to hide this any more."

Jean-Claude then added, "Besides all that, the both of you are in danger."

That caught Kenta's attention, and Jean-Claude assured him that it was not imminent. He then said, "However that does not mean that it does not exist. If they ever make a connection between you and Karin, where you two lived, you would be in danger. They would use you as some kind of tool to get at you and the rest of your family."

"What do you have in mind?" asked Kenta.

"You two are going to have to live in the house on the hill until the danger has passed," said Karin.

"What will my mother do?" asked Kenta.

"Oh, she'll be able to live as normal," said Jean-Claude, "but if danger hit, she would have to stay there until it is all over."

Karin jumped in, and said, "That's why both I and Anjou are coming to your place tonight."

They were in earshot of the house, and Fumio came out when she heard that, saying, "You're coming over tonight? Why don't you come for dinner?"

Karin was taken off guard by this, but she took the opportunity, and said, "Well, I have to work today, but we'll be over at about seven tonight, is that okay?"

"Sure, it would be perfect!" said Fumio, who then asked, "And who is Anjou?"

"She's my little sister," said Karin, "and she wants to meet you."

"That would be great," said Fumio, "I've always wanted to meet others from your family. I look forward to it!"

"See you then," said Karin, and the three went their way.

"Well, that was easy," said Kenta, "She always looks for chances to entertain guests."

"That's easier than what I have to do," said Karin, "I don't know what I am going to say to her."

"Leave that to Corn Muffin," said Jean-Claude, "That girl has a way with words." I think she'll be able to do it in such a fashion that would not frighten Fumio…at least; I hope she will have the words."

He then looked at the couple, and said, "Now, if you will excuse me, I have some devotionals I wish to do, and then I will catch up to you at Julian's later. Catch you later."

"Do you think it will go well?" asked Kenta.

"These days," she answered, "I can't tell how anything is going to go. Anyway, I hope I can catch up to Maki at the bookstore, because I need to talk to her as well."

At the bookstore, Maki was behind the front counter, and Karin was glad that it was quiet that day. What she had to deal with could be a bit sensitive. Maki was her usual bubbly self, and greeted Karin warmly. Karin came up, and they hugged, exchanging pleasantries. Maki then said, "So, what's up?"

Karin hesitated for a moment, and then she asked, "Maki-chan, how do you see me?"

Maki was confused, and said, "What do you mean? You're my friend."

"Yes, I know this," said Karin, "but that's not what I mean. How do you see me, I mean, what do you see when you see me?"

"Now I am completely lost," said Maki, and then Kenta joined in, saying, "You're confusing me now. What's eating you, love?"

Karin thought for a moment, and then said, "Last night, I had a talk with Jean-Claude, learned some things that I didn't want, and faced some things that I hadn't faced until last night. It was rough, but I needed it. I guess I should start with this question: why did you not talk to me when Anjou fed on you that one day?"

Maki stopped, and thought for a moment. She then said, "When it happened, I did not know what to think, but while I slept, Anjou was in me, and I in her. She talked to me—it was so odd. She told me…" and then she stopped, not sure that she wanted to say anything. Maki then said, "…she told me things."

Karin came up and softly put her hand on Maki's, saying, "Maki-chan, I know what happened—everything."

Maki was not sure how to react to this, but then she saw the look on Karin's face, and she saw that Karin was not angry, but had a very loving look on her face. "Maki-chan, why were you jealous of me?"

"Karin, please don't hate me," she said, but Karin said, "I'm not angry. I just want to know. Why didn't you talk to me?"

Tears began to well up in Maki's eyes, and she said, "Karin, you were already having too many problems as it was, and that was before I found out just how deep things were. I didn't want to burden you."

"Didn't you think what that would do to you inside?" asked Karin.

"Karin-chan, please, I know that I was acting like a spoiled brat," said Maki, "I should not have been jealous of you. It just seemed you could always get the attention of the boys, and I could not. Yet, all it was was the fact that I had no confidence in myself that I could win anyone. But, you want to know something, after Anjou did what she did, I didn't feel jealous anymore. In fact, she talked to me, showed me what I did wrong. It was as if the jealous spirit was siphoned out of me. Now that I know how things work, I guess that is what happened. I think I owe your kid sister some thanks! Because of her, I have Wiener now. Please forgive me for being jealous."

"Maki-chan, I forgave you long ago," said Karin, "I just wanted to be sure that you know that you can come and talk to me. No more secrets: let's be more open than that."

Maki was relieved to hear this, and then she said, "So, what's the deal with, 'How do you see me?'"

"Well, I guess it has to do with what happened with my sister," said Karin, "I mean, weren't you angry at what happened, or frightened?"

"Well, I didn't understand what she was doing at first," said Maki, "and then I saw the fangs. By the time I figured out what was going on, she popped me. I always thought that vampires would be more cruel, but I was so surprised. She was so gentle; in fact, it seemed she was making sure that she didn't hurt me at all. Oddly enough, it felt peaceful, and even pleasurable."

Maki's eyes were actually looking dreamy, and Karin wasn't ready for this reaction. At first, I wanted to avoid you, but then I realized that, if you had meant me harm, you would have hurt me long ago. By being around you and your family, I realize that you guys are people like anyone else, just a little different. If it were to happen again, I don't think anything bad would happen, because I know that you wouldn't put me into a situation where you would harm me."

Maki then looked at her, and said, "Wait a minute: are you afraid that I see you as a monster? Oh, please girl, I never did, and I still don't. What brought that on?"

"I am going to admit something to you that took a long time for me to admit to myself," said Karin, "I have secretly wished that I could be just a regular girl, and that I did not have this problem that I have. Yet, now I know that, I was ashamed of what I was, and that I really did not love myself. I mean, did you know that, when the both of us were in the infirmary that one day, I wanted to bite you, and I was too frightened? I may have, if I had the ability to erase your memory then as I do now. Yet, I wanted to release, because you were so unhappy. You were asleep anyway, so I thought it would be okay, but I was angry with myself for that. You're my best friend. I couldn't do that to you. It would have changed you, albeit temporarily."

By this point, Maki was back to doing her chores in the shop, but she was still listening and talking. Without even looking up, she said, "So, why didn't you bite me?"

Karin looked shocked. "Maki," she said, "If you had woke up, and I could not have erased your memory of what had happened, how would you have reacted, not knowing what you know now?"

Maki stopped, thought about it for a moment or two, and said, "Yeah, I see your point. Still, if you had told me before you bit me what your problem was, maybe then it would have been all right. I mean, it would have shaken me a bit to know my best friend was a vampire, but I think it would have been the same: if you had meant to hurt me, you would have already done it. Actually, I would have thought it a bit cool then, knowing my friend was a good vampire. Because you are my friend, I want you to know that, if you ever have to release, and I am down, don't hesitate. I know that you would help me if I were ever in trouble, so why can't I help you? I accept you for what you are, why can't you?"

Karin was crying, but joyous at the same time. She ran up and hugged Maki tight. "Okay, okay!" laughed Maki, "I love you too!"

Thus, on that day, a friendship strengthened, and took an interesting, but good turn, in that, there was a human that knew about vampires, did not care that she was a vampire, and would be willing to walk amongst them unafraid and unprejudiced, being able to love them like they were humans like herself.

After work, Jean-Claude walked back with everyone else, and Yuriya escorted her beau up the hill. Maki then saw Anjou approach, and she got a big smile on her face. She knelt down to see her eye to eye, and said, "Tomorrow night, your sister, Jean-Claude, and I will be doing some homework, and I want you to be there. Could you please be there? I want to talk to you, and I'll have something for you!"

Anjou was not sure what that meant, but she read her aura, and saw only happiness, so she had nothing to fear. This was the first time they had been near each other since the "incident," and she was not sure herself how Maki would react. She kicked herself for being sloppy and not remembering to erase her memory, but it turned out all right anyway. She grinned her gentle grin and said, "I will be there, and thank you for the invitation."

Maki smiled, patted her on the head, and said, "Well, I'll see you in class tomorrow!"

That left Kenta, Anjou, and Karin. Karin was still chewing on things, and she felt it would be better if they waited until after supper, when everyone would be feeling sociable and talkative. They went in, and Fumio was beaming. Things had been so much better now that she could hold down a job, and there was nothing over which to be depressed. It was a gracious spread despite the humble means by which it came, and everyone enjoyed themselves. However, Karin wondered how it was going for Anjou, considering that her taste for mortal food was dampened being what she was. On the other hand, Fumio was absolutely charmed by the young lady, complimenting her on her manners, although she wished she would not be so quiet. When the dinner was over, Anjou tried to help with the dishes, and Fumio, though flattered, insisted that she relax, because she was the guest. However, she would have none of it, and ended up helping Fumio anyway. It was at this point that Anjou became a bit more talkative, and was starting to build a rapport with Fumio—all a part of her strategy. Finally, they all sat down, and began some small talk. When it got quiet, Karin then said, "Um…Fumio…there was a main reason why my sister and I are here."

"Oh, really," asked Fumio, "Is there something wrong?"

Karin rubbed the back of her neck, and said, "Well, I'm not sure how to address that, I mean…"

Fumio looked at her, and then at Kenta, and said, "Oh no, Karin, your so young—didn't you two take any precautions?"

Kenta's face went beat red, and said, "Mother, it's not like that, we haven't…"

"It's no reason to be embarrassed," said Fumio, "I mean, you two have been together for a while now, and I figured…"  
"We're waiting," said Karin.

"Oh good," said Fumio, "Not many young people these days have such restraint."

Then Fumio stopped, thought, and said, "If it's not that, then what is the problem? I don't understand?"

Anjou then spoke up, and said, "How much do you trust Karin?"

"I don't understand?" said Fumio, confused to where this was going.

"If Karin were a bad person, do you think that she would have done something by now?" asked Anjou, very frankly.

"Well, since you put it that way," said Fumio, still confused, "you could say she's earned my trust. I mean, we've known each other for sometime now, so, if she had meant bad, I guess you could say she would have done it by now!"

"I'm so glad to hear you say that, Fumio," said Anjou, "because what we have to tell you will be to your benefit."

That took some of the edge off, and Fumio said, "Well, I am glad you said that, because you were frightening me for a bit there."

"For some," continued Anjou, "what we are going to tell you would be extremely frightening, but I believe that you can take it."

"Is your family in trouble?" asked Fumio.

"No, it's nothing like that," said Karin, but Anjou jumped back in and said, "If people knew what we truly were, our lives would be at stake."

Fumio thought for a moment, and said, "Have people been harassing you for being westerners? Those people are so stupid! I cannot stand people who hate people, just because they're different!"

"That makes me even happier to hear," said Anjou, "because with what we tell you, we know that you will not hate us. However, it has nothing to do with being western."

Kenta saw how things were plodding along, and felt that, if it kept up with this game of "20 questions," it would be Christmas before the matter was settled. Kenta figured that, if came from him, it might go better. He then said, "Mother, what do you believe about vampires?"

Fumio reacted as if she had smelled something bad, and said, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"It has everything to do with this conversation," said Kenta, "because, whatever it is you do believe, you need to toss that aside."

Fumio was trying to figure out what was going on, and then she looked over at the girls. Karin was looking a bit sheepish, not knowing how to continue, but Anjou took the cake. It was then that Fumio saw Anjou with a now healthy pair of canine teeth extending out of her mouth as it remained closed. "I think you knowing the truth is long overdue," said Anjou. Karin could not believe what she saw, while Fumio was starting to turn pale, and she looked ready to faint. Before she could, Anjou was beside her in a split second, touching her forehead, and saying, "Fear not, we are your friends."

Anjou was tapping into the pleasure centers of her brain, trying to help put her at ease. "Dearest Fumio," said Anjou, "Take what I am doing right now as a notion of peace, for, if we meant to harm you, we would have already taken your blood. Besides, your blood is not what I prefer, because I like jealous young women, and Karin seeks unhappy people."

Anjou knew that, if she did this, Fumio would be better able to receive the news. Anjou then said to Karin, "Extend your fangs, big sister, because she needs to see you this way as well."

Karin, now knowing that there was nothing left to hide, did just that. Fumio then said, "Please tell me you have not bitten Kenta."

"Mom," said Kenta, "Karin is different. Haven't you noticed that she walks in the daytime?"

Anjou took her hand away, because she knew that Fumio would not freak out at this point. "Fumio-san," said Karin, "I am what some would call a un-vampire, because everything I am or can do is, or is done the opposite of, what a normal vampire does. I make blood, and I have to release it. My blood acts as a fertility drug to other vampires, and my kind show up about once every thousand years when there is a sharp drop in the birthrate of the vampires. Your son was my preference, and caused me to make blood. Normally, people bitten by me lose their depression for a time, but Kenta remained normal. He is unaffected, and so, if I need a release, he can receive it."

"She…she bit you?" said Fumio.

"She still does," said Kenta, "and because I told her to."

"What!" she said, "You volunteer your neck?"

"It's okay," said Kenta, "It's harmless."

"In fact," said Karin, "I even helped you one night, although you do not remember it. My brother took me out one night to find my preference, and we met you. You were very unhappy that night, and he, well, kind of forced me to bite you. For, you see, if I don't release, I have massive nosebleeds, and it could be fatal if too much comes out. He would not let me nosebleed, and cause my vampire instincts to rise, and I bit you. After that, you were no longer depressed, and you attacked life with relish."

"How come I don't remember this?" asked Fumio, now more in a state of shock than fear.

"My brother erased your memories at a time that I was not able to do so," she said, "That's what we normally do when we feed."

"But, you…I mean…why don't I hear about deaths, and…" said Fumio, scared, shocked, and confused, all at the same time.

"Mother," said Kenta, "I said to forget all you know."

Unfortunately, the combination of emotions had a mix of unhappiness within it, and Karin's blood started to rise. "Oh no!" she said, "Not now!" and she eyed Kenta.

Now Fumio began to display a bit of the mother bear in her and said, "Don't you bite my Kenta! Leave him alone!"

This was going south fast, and so Anjou then suggested the only thing that she felt may resolve the situation, and said, "Karin, Fumio needs better convincing than what we have tried tonight."

Fumio caught the hint, and even more so when she saw Karin turn towards her with a smile on her face. It was not evil, but it was anxious. Before Fumio could get up, Anjou touched her again, and calmed her. Fumio pleaded, and said, "Please, don't hurt me!"

Anjou said, "Please, do not be frightened, Fumio-sama. You shall actually find this very enjoyable."

With that, Karin approached, sniffed her neck a bit, stroked her face gently, and sank in her fangs. Fumio stiffened initially, but then she relaxed, and felt a peace overcome her. Anjou said into her ear, as she stroked her hair, "When you awake, you will be better able to handle what you hear. Karin is taking all your fears away."

After about three minutes or so, Karin pulled out, looking quite contented herself, and Kenta laid her down. Kenta did not know if things needed to get to this point, but there was nothing that could be done now. He only hoped that Karin's infusion would put her in a better mood to receive the other information that she needed to hear.

As Fumio lay there, she began to hear Karin's voice, all pleasing and happy. It was as if she were seeing out of Karin's eyes, and her own as well. The voice said, "You see, Fumio-san, there was nothing to fear. All you should feel right now is peace and bliss. We are not what you think, and we are not as the myths that you have heard. Feeding is how we live, but we seek not to harm anyone. We are a kind of people, as you are, but with different needs. Once you get to know us, you shall see that you have powerful friends, and that we want to get along with you as you wish with everyone else. I love you, and, if things go how I hope, you will make a fantastic mother-in-law. Wake up now, and see the world in a new and special way."

Fumio awakened, feeling much better, and saw both Karin and Anjou smiling over her, fangs back in place, both of them doing what they could to make her comfortable. "How are you doing, Fumio-san?"

"I…I actually feel good," she said.

"Did it hurt?" asked Anjou.

"The prick hurt a bit," she said, "but then—and this seems so odd to me—I actually felt like I was enjoying it!"

"I have to admit, that it made me feel good too!" said Karin.

"There is so much that I do not know," said Fumio, "Can you teach me?"

Anjou put that cute smile back on her face, and said, "I would love to!"

After educating her about vampires, they got to the other half of things. "First," said Karin, "I wanted to tell you, because, if Kenta and I do get married, you would have to find out eventually. Yet, there is a more pressing reason."

It was at that point they told her all that had been going on since Jean-Claude had arrived, and then they explained the danger in which she and Kenta rested. It was then that they said that their parents were opening up their home to the two of them, and that the sooner they moved the better. "I wouldn't want to be a burden," said Fumio.

Karin then said, "If the two of you can help offset the expenses, as Jean-Claude has been doing, then it would be no problem."

"In fact," said Anjou, "if you can help Karin around the house during the day, mother would love you."

Kenta thought for a moment, and said, "How is your grandmother about all this?"

"She still is a little leery about humans," said Karin, "but Victor has been helping with that. She says that there is so much of Alfred in him that it isn't funny. They're hitting it off. Give Victor some time, and that won't ever be a problem."

"We can move tomorrow," said Fumio, understanding the concern, "We may not get it all up there in one day, but we can at least settle enough to be in there."

"I will think of you like an aunt," said Anjou, and she hugged Fumio.

All Karin could say was, "Welcome to the family!"


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter XV

Fumio slept soundly, feeling more upbeat, (thanks to Karin,) and yet, still a bit anxious. There was much in the way of myths of which she had to rid herself. It was not enough that her son was dating a vampire, or that entire family had been living atop the hill underneath which you resided; now she was going to live in a house _filled with them!_ She had to assure herself that, if there had been a danger, things would have gone bad long ago. She had to admit that it was odd the number of bats that seemed to hang around the place for the few years they had been there. She had even fed some of them, and that was another thing that had explained itself that night: why the bats had been so tame around her. In any case, she was not in a rush, because she wanted some more time to let things sink in. However, the next morning, she was in for a surprise. When they awoke, the only things left in the house were the futons and the bedclothes on which they slept, and the essentials that they needed to start the day. At the first, she was about to scream, "Thieves!", but Kenta assured her all was okay. He had already been up and fixing breakfast, and handed her mother a note. When she opened it, it said the following:

Dear Auntie-san,

Please do not be surprised at the emptiness of your house. When I went back last night, we told mother that things were all arranged, and that you would start moving things the next day. However, father would have none of it, and he coerced, (and I do mean _coerced_,) the rest of the family into helping him move you last night. Mother is still not that sure about mortals under her roof, but father said it would be good to have an extra set of eyes in the daytime looking after things. Grandma Elda reluctantly helped, but please do not let her worry you. She will more than likely avoid you, and not bother you all that much. Brother Ren is hardly around anyway, so the only ones that you have to worry about are mother, father, Karin, and I. Do understand that we welcome you, but please, understand that things are a bit different in our world. Mother and father will tell you more that you will need to know when they awaken tonight. In the meantime, please see the map of the house, and it will show the room that you and Kenta will be using, yet, the whole house is yours in which to roam. Just remember not to disturb any coffins you may find, because you may disturb someone's sleep. Do not worry about sound, because vampires are normally very sound sleepers, and you shall not awaken them that way. Please hurry to us, because I, personally, look forward to you being there.

Yours with the deepest love,

Anjou.

Fumio was surprised at the maturity that a thirteen year-old girl would possess, and was impressed at her pros. However, she also sensed a bit of sadness in the girl, both in her mannerisms the night before, and in the letter. Though it seemed odd to say this about a vampire, she seemed like she was looking for much in the way of love. Fumio hoped that, at the very least, she could give her what she was seeking. Despite her approach the night before, she was a sweetheart. Kenta headed off to class, and Fumio packed up the last of things and headed up the hill. She had never been to the top of this hill, and the only thing she could ever remember of it was trying to walk up the hill one day, and then waking up in her bed. It was very strange. This time, however, it was a bright and sunny day, and she, for the first time, could see the top of the hill. As she was heading up, Karin and Jean-Claude were heading down. Karin greeted her with a bright and cheery, "Good Morning!" and gave Fumio a big hug. "Thank you," she said, "but what was that for?"

"For you being you," she said, smiling, "and to let you know that we do love you. Please don't be scared by anything you find right now. If a fog comes up behind you after you crest the hill, don't worry about it, this is normal. We'll explain later. The house is dark for a reason. Use the lights when you need them, but don't open any blinds. Make yourself at home, right now, and we'll help you tonight."

Karin was about to go, but she stopped and turned back to say, "I know all this is scary, and I hope we didn't frighten you too badly last night, but you are going to be okay. You're going to be in the safest place in the city!"

With that, Karin and Jean-Claude went on their way. Fumio began to feel anxious in her gut, and she was not depressed, (Karin had fixed that the night before.) The feeling had more to do with the very odd situation in which she found herself. As soon as she crested the hill, she could see the mansion, and just as Karin said would happen, a fog filled up below her. Fumio then froze in fear. This was too strange! She was not sure into what she was getting. Since her son had known about this for some time, she wondered how long it took before he was used to things. The house itself was definitely European in design, and old. It was clear by its age that it was not something one would commonly see in Japan in the era from which it came. The only thing she could then assume was that this house had been put their by the vampires some time ago, and they had been concealing themselves for centuries. That forced her to ask her self just how old some of them were, or if several generations had lived there before the present family. She mounted the porch, and she was about to knock. However, she then remembered the letter, and then figured that there was no one awake to answer. She doubted anyone would hear her anyway. Then, she wondered if there was a key left somewhere. As she looked around, she noticed that the windows on that side were all covered inwardly with a heavy, black cloth. This cemented in her mind with what she was dealing. She then put her hand on the knob, and she was surprised that the door opened easily. At first, she wondered why this was, and then she figured that it had to do something with no one really knowing that there was anything on the hill. She would have to find out later. She closed the door behind her, and she noticed how dark the place was. She took a moment to let her eyes adjust, and went straight to the designated room.

When she opened it, everything was tidy and in its place. There were two beds: one for her, and one for Kenta. What she found pleasant was that the room was sunward in the morning, and the drapes were pleasing and wide open. It was then that she found another note. It read, "I hope things look nice Auntie-san. I tried to make sure it looked as welcoming as possible. Please feel free to rearrange it to your liking. I look forward to seeing you this afternoon. I love you—Anjou."

"That little angel," she said, "I hope that I can just put a smile on her face at some point."

She did move a few things, but not much. It was as if Anjou had read her mind in how she liked things, and set it up so. Now, she began to ask herself what she was going to do with the rest of the day. She did not have to work until the next day, so she had all day for whatever. She looked out the window at the yard, and saw that it did not look all that tended to for some time. She then began to wander around the house, getting a feel for things. It was a bit dusty, and it looked like it could use a little work. She started to figure a game plan, and she decided that she wanted to surprise her hosts. Thus, she started by slipping into all the rooms and retrieving all the laundry. She marked which basket belonged to whom, and started some loads. As that was going on, she began to dust, tidy up, and vacuum. The one thing she did like was the fact that the big family room had large picture windows that were not blocked. However, it seemed that it had been designed to keep them faced away from the sun at all times. It was then she figured that, if a vampire did live here, it was designed with that in mind. All the while, she was doing the laundry, and returning clean and folded clothes to everyone's rooms. Once all this was done, she proceeded to tackle the jungle that was the exterior. She saw rakes and hand push lawn mowers that had not been used for years. She tested the mowers, and she then did some repairs. It amazed her that the blades had not all rusted right through. She was then able to sharpen them as best she could, and put plenty of oil on the wheels. She let that soak in as she proceeded to rake and trim the hedges. It was hard work, but because of the infusion, she had all sorts of energy. By doing this, it took her mind off things, and it began to feel more like a home. In fact, she had always wanted something like this in her life, and though this was under some interesting circumstances, she was going to enjoy this as much as possible, and make it as much of a home as she was allowed.

The kids were coming back up the hill at this point, talking about class, and the upcoming festival. Jean-Claude could be heard saying, "…yes, but this is Halloween: things need to be a bit creepy. That would be a great number…" and it was then all three stopped and stared. It looked like Karin's place all right, but Karin never had seen it so neat before. She had to look at the address number on the arched gate in the fence, just be sure that they had come up the correct hill. Maki then said, "Okay, this IS your house, right?"

Kenta then heard the spinning of lawn mower blades, and saw his mother coming back around the house, pushing a hand mower around. She smiled and said, "Hi kids!" and kept on mowing. Kenta then said, "Don't look now, but Typhoon Fumio just struck!"

She put the mower to the side, and she then began to rake up the grass cuttings. They walked up, and Fumio said, "I was glad all the laundry was able to dry so I could get the grass cut. Hopefully, I can get this done and then start on dinner."

"Fumio-san," said Karin, "What are you doing?"

"I just couldn't sit around the house," she said, "and I saw some things needed doing, so I did them."

"But Fumio-san, the laundry?" asked Karin.

Jean-Claude came out of the house and said, "Oh, it was more than the laundry!"

Karin feared the worst, and went in. However, she then saw that everything was as it needed to be, but everything was dusted and put away. All the trash was out, and everyone's laundry was done. Fumio came in later and said, "Tomorrow, I'm going to get your mother's and Anjou's dresses to the cleaners. I didn't have the soap for doing any dry cleaning. So, what does everyone want for dinner?"

All the three of them could do was stare. Fumio did not pay any mind to that, and then said, "Oh, wait, is there enough for everyone here?"

Karin walked up and gently put a hand on her arm, saying, "Don't worry, it will only be the four of us. Except for me and Jean-Claude, none of us really have any need for food."

That snapped Fumio back a bit into reality, and she quietly said, "Oh, yes, of course your right."

She shook it off, and said, "Well…that just makes it easier. Oh, Kenta, spray this around, I need to get rid of the musty smell."

Karin said, "And start with the most frequented areas, so the smell dissipates before everyone awakes."

Fumio looked at her a bit strangely, and Karin then said, "Vampires have a great sense of smell, and it would be too strong if it were done last."

Fumio rubbed the back of her neck and said, "I'm so sorry, I've been a pest."

Karin saw her distress, and said, "Oh no, please don't think that way. You just need to adjust your approach a bit. I'm sure that mother and you could sort that out later. Oh, and just make sure that, whatever you make, no garlic."

"Oh that's right," said Fumio, "it drives vampires away."

"It drives _anyone _away," said Maki.

"It's not that," said Karin, "it's that sense of smell thing."

"Okay, got it," said Fumio, "keep on fan while cooking, watch heavy spices, and do things early enough to dissipate any smells."

"There you go," said Karin, and she then say, "Let's get upstairs and get started."

Within a half hour, they came down to eat. About the time they finished, the others were stirring. There was muttering and discussions going on outside the kitchen door, and it almost sounded like _Goldilocks and the Three Bears_. "Who vacuumed? All the laundry's done and folded—who did this. Did someone bring a landscaper up here? What's going on?"

Another, quieter voice cut in, but it was hard to make out what was being said. Karin heard footsteps approaching, and she was up quickly to close up the drapes and blinds. When Fumio saw this, her nerves started to shake her a bit, because the rest of the family was now up, and she was not sure if all were okay. The kitchen door opened a crack, closed, and a muffled voice said, "They're in here."

At that, the doors opened, and Fumio saw Calera in all her splendor, and Henry, cutting an imposing figure, right behind. At first, Fumio looked at Calera, and thought she was cross. Then a smile broke over her face and said, "Fumio Usui, I presume?"

She looked down at her plate with a nervous face, and said, "Yes, you are right," very quietly. However, Calera came over, and pulled her up, giving her a big hug. "It's so good to meet you!" said Calera warmly. She looked around, turned her head, smiled, and said, "Was it you that did all this?"

Still nervous, Fumio could not look her in the eye, and said, "Yes, ma'am, it was me."

"Oh, darling!" said Calera, "Please don't be ashamed! Thank you for the kind gesture, but you really didn't have to do all this."

Fumio was able to put a small smile on her face, and said, "I had no work today, and I needed something to do."

"Well, I'll leave the kitchen to the kids to finish up," said Calera, "Come into the family room, please, so we can talk."

With that, Calera took her arm and led her into the family room as she took her arm. Kenta said, "I should be in there with her," and went to join her, but Anjou intercepted him, saying, "No, Big brother, they need to speak on some important matters. They are going to lay down the ground rules, and she has to be clear on them."

Once in the family room, Fumio was led to one couch, while Calera sat on the other, and Henry sat in the main chair. Elda happened to be there, and she was leaning against one of the columns in the room, watching, but acting as if she really did not want to get close. Fumio wanted to make sure that they understood she knew that her being there was an inconvenience, and immediately said, "Please, I am sorry if I am putting anyone out of their way. I wish not to impose on anyone."

Calera lit up the odd pipe that she liked, and began to speak, "My dear Fumio, for all that your son has done for our dear Karin; this was the least that we can do for you. It is only because of the danger that is in the city right now that we have done this. But, really, you didn't have to do all this."

"It's the least of what _I_ can do," said Fumio, still somewhat nervous.

Henry could see her trepidation, and he smiled, saying, "Miss Usui, I know what you may have heard about our kind, but you must understand there is little truth to any of it. Oddly enough, we're much like you: many have to work jobs, rent apartments; we marry, have children, live lives, and have social gatherings. I think Shakespeare soliloquy in _The Merchant of Venice_ from Shylock spells it out well: tickle us, do we not laugh; prick us, do we not bleed?"

"Wrong us, and do we not avenge?" added Elda.

"Mother, please, do not frighten the girl," said Henry.

"She has to be set straight, son," said Elda.

"Mother Marker, she has done much already for us," said Calera, "or didn't you notice."

"Well, I must admit," said Elda, "the place did look neater. If she can stay useful, she should be no problem, just as long as she understands her limits."

"Limits?" asked Fumio, "What do you mean."

Calera moved over to the other couch, trying to do the woman-to-woman kind of talk, trying to assure her. She put her hand on Fumio's, and noticed that it was trembling. She took it gently, and said, "Dear Fumio, whatever is the matter?"

"I just don't know what to do?" she said, "things seemed to be settling down, I was getting secure, and then I find out all this. Then my life is tossed up again. Can't there ever be any normalcy?"

"With Kenta head over heels for Karin," said Calera, "not likely. Besides, you would have had to find out anyway. If they are married, there is just more than you knowing the truth at stake."

Fumio looked at her, not knowing where that was going. Calera continued, "You see, there are some that would not like the fact that there is the possibility of them wedding. Many would prefer our two worlds didn't mesh. Therefore, they do all they can to foster and grow the myths that you do, or may have, believed, just to keep us separate. Jean-Claude is a living example of what can happen. His mother and father were a mix, and his life, up until recently, has been a nightmare."

"Are you saying that one of his parents were a vampire?" asked Fumio.

"That's precisely what I am saying," answered Calera, "Because of that, ignorant fools of our kind brutally murdered them, and would have done the same to him had not help come in time."

Fumio looked upstairs, knowing that this was where the kids were, wondering what kind of life the poor boy must have suffered. Then Fumio said, "Is this the same fate that awaits them?"

"Not necessarily," said Henry, "As long as they stay in Tokyo, they have my care. On top of that, Jean-Claude has been acting like a guardian angel for this household, so, as long as he is around, I do not think you would have to worry. After what happened to him, I think he would say, 'Over my dead body,' to anyone wishing harm to them, or any offspring."

"He wants to see the two worlds mesh," said Calera, "and he sees those two as the key. If anyone has a problem with that, they would have to get through him, and that would be a tall order indeed! If there is any being on earth that could do something about it, it would be him!"

"So, what's the danger?" asked Fumio.

"It's nothing related to that," said Henry, "but there is a threat to Karin, and because of your association with her through Kenta, your life could be in jeopardy as well. Because I am the chief in Tokyo of all the vampires, I do not take kindly to vigilantes or anyone else acting violently under my watch. Because of the association to Karin, I am actually obligated to protect you. However, the safest place for you is right here. You are welcome here, and consider yourself as family for now. It seems that Anjou has warmed to you greatly, and has done all she can to make you comfortable. You can live your life as normal, work a job, whatever you want."

"However," said Calera, "There are certain things you need to know."

At this, Elda came up, wearing the slinky white dress she was accustomed to wearing, (making her look like a vampyra out of a bad horror picture,) and sat down by Fumio. Calera glared at her, as if to say, "You scare this poor girl, and there will be Hell to pay!"

Elda took the hint, and weighed her words well. She then said, "Since we offer this to you, there are certain things you need to remember. Our safety is at stake as well. Therefore, you cannot say who you are living with, and say anything about your knowledge of vampires. Because of the misunderstanding that is still rampant out there, we want to avoid a witch-hunt. So, keep your yap shut!"

"Mother Marker!" snapped Calera, "That was rude!"

"The human must be made to understand the danger she creates by talking," said Elda.

"Her name is Fumio," said Calera, "She has a name and she is a person. Please do not refer to her in the third person while she is sitting here! I am surprised at you acting like this when you are warming up to Victor so much. Isn't that a little hypocritical of you?"

Elda looked down as if she were a naughty little girl, and apologized, "Fumio, every one of us have our scars, and some you cannot see. I made the mistake of trusting a human at a time where there were _real_ witch-hunts, and it left a bad taste in my mouth about humans. Forgive me, please; I just don't want to see it again."

Fumio looked at her, and thought about all she had already been told, and she said, "And I thought I was frightened?" and then hugged Elda. Elda was not ready for that! She was a bit surprised, but returned the gesture, and Fumio said, "You poor dear: for your sake, I will say nothing."

Elda could not believe the things she had been learning recently. Could it be that humans had become more tolerant while she slept? Was there hope? However, Calera had to tell her the consequences about talking. She said, "I am glad you feel that way, Fumio, because what I must now tell you will give you more incentive."

"What's that," asked Fumio, having a bit of the nervousness return.

"If you do say anything, we would have to erase your memory about all this," said Henry, and Calera continued, "Yet, because of your now extensive knowledge, we would have to erase _everything_!"

"W…What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"How would you like to be in diapers at 34 years old?" said Elda.

Fumio's jaw was in her lap. "Okay…good point," said Fumio, "Thank you for the safety tip," trying to take the edge off things. Calera then said, "Other than that, welcome to our household."

After that, Fumio said, "Um…I think I'll get some snacks for the kids," said Fumio, trying to extract herself, but Calera would have none of it, as both she and Elda followed behind, trying to make small talk, "So, where were you born…" was heard as the conversation trailed off as the door closed.

Meanwhile, the three were pouring over their studies. Maki was working on her English; Karin was working on her geometry, while Jean-Claude was doing calculus. They were actually quiet working, unless someone had a question of one kind or another. Karin sighed, having never been the strongest math student. "These theorems are killing me," she said, "Why to I have to find six different proofs anyway? Isn't one enough?"

Jean-Claude rolled his eyes and said, "Try finding the area under the curve!"

Maki tried a sentence in English, "On Saturday, we went to de basebouro game."

"Okay, pronunciation is key here," he said, "It isn't 'de,' it's 'the.' Stick your tongue between your teeth and blow."

She did, and Karin rubbed her eye. "Make it a little less juicy next time," said Jean-Claude, "And it isn't 'basebouro,' it's 'baseball.' For that 'l' put the tip of the tongue on the back of your two incisors and make a noise."

She did, and then he said, "Now, try to say the sentence again."

Maki did, although it was a bit rough, and he said, "Remember those two things. 'Th' can be one of the hardest consonant sounds a non-English speaker can master. Keep it up, though, it's getting better."

"Practice always makes perfect," said a quiet, gentle voice from Karin's bed. Everyone shuttered as they looked up to see Anjou sitting there with her acoustic guitar. She said, "The set for the Halloween show is fun. I just hope that the rest of the band is ready. Some of the songs you picked are a bit technical, Big Brother."

Everyone shook with a start, and Jean-Claude said, "Girl, you could sneak up on death and scare him!"

Anjou started to play something nondescript, and she looked at Maki, and asked, "Why did you want to see me?"

Maki gave her a loving smile and reached back for a bag. She hopped up on the bed on the body side of the guitar with a big smile, and a paper bag. "Anjou," she said, "I just wanted to let you know that I have no hard feelings against you. I don't think you meant any harm, and I know you never sought to hurt me. I just wanted you to know that I still consider you my friend. You only did what you had to do, and I was glad I could help you, because I know you helped me."

With that, she handed over the paper bag, and Anjou pulled out a plush toy bat with mouse-like ears and a face as cute as a button. She said, "It looked so cute that I thought of you, and I just had to get it for you."

With her free hand, Anjou cuddled it to her, and then put her arm around Maki's waist, as a tear betrayed her mood, and she said, "Thank you, Big Sister, I love it."

Maki hugged back and tousled her hair, saying, "Just like Karin, I'll be there for you if you need me. Hey, how about a song, band mate?"

Jean-Claude said, "How about that country and western one I taught you?"

He moved his chair over to the bedside and had Anjou begin, as they sang _Wild Montana_ _Skies. _"Wow!" said Karin, "You're singing is getting so much better!"

"I have rehearsed a song for you, sister," said Anjou, "and I am going to sing it at the concert."

"Which reminds me," said Jean-Claude, "Do you have the outfits ready?"

"I sure do!" she answered, "When you two come over for rehearsal tomorrow, after homework, we can all try them on."

At this, there was a knock at the door, and Fumio came in with Calera and Elda, all with drinks and snacks. "I heard the singing," said Fumio, "and I thought that was fantastic. Was that you, Anjou?"

"Yes, Auntie-san," said Anjou, "I hope you will be there for the show."

"I wouldn't miss it!" she said. Anjou then said, "Thank you for the laundry."

"Your welcome, sweetheart," said Fumio, with a big smile, "I can take some of your dresses and drop them off at dry cleaning tomorrow before I go to work, if you like."

Anjou looked at her, and then at Calera, and she smiled her gentle smile, as she said, "Thank you for coming. Now I have a daytime mother, and a nighttime mother."

Fumio had a tear well up in her eye, and she embraced the child saying, "Now you've really made me feel at home!"

Elda smiled as she saw this, but then began to get a glint in her eye, considering her blood taste, to which Calera gently guided her out and closed the door. She then said, "Leave the guests alone! Find someone else—you know what that will do. You will undo all we have tried to do!"

Elda looked disappointed, and said, "You're no fun!"


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter XVI

The fall arts festival was soon coming, and Jean-Claude, with Anjou, went over to Maki's to rehearse after homework. Maki had also been working on the costumes. Since it was around Halloween, and since they were calling themselves "D'amphile and the Bats," Maki had something ready for everyone. Jean-Claude and Anjou were the first of the band to show up, and Maki was all pleased as punch to have them try on the outfits. She gave both of them the outfits and Jean-Claude retired to the other room to change. For her and Anjou, she had made open, flowing black skirts with the scalloped edges, and black tops with bat wings that would still allow them to play. For the guys, she had make what could best be described as bellhop jackets, in black, with the wings and black trousers. There were also silver threads that ran in the cloth here and there, that were visible when the light hit it just right. The girls put on their outfits, and they were enjoying playing dress-up. However, Anjou kept wincing, and Maki then remembered the light, so she shut down the overhead, and turned on a lamp in the corner. However, from the other room came a muffled, "You've got to be kidding me!"

Maki said, "Come on out, I want to see it!"

"No," he said.

"Why," she asked.

"I look like a dork!" he said frankly.

"Aw, come on," she begged, "I want to see!"

He opened the door and looked at the two of them with a "you can't be for real" look on his face. He was wearing what the other boys would be wearing, but his was white with black trim. He was about to speak, but before he could, Maki said, "Wait, there's something else."

With that, she put on his head a tiara with bat ears on them on top of his head. Anjou was having no problem with this, but Jean-Claude was not so sure. She said, "Now that will wow them!"

"Okay, I know here in Japan, this would be considered a cool gimmick," said Jean-Claude, "But where I am from, I might as well tattoo the word 'dork' on my forehead!"

"Are you saying you don't like it?" asked Maki?

Before he could answer, the rest of the band arrived, and said, "Hey, cool outfit, Jean-Claude!"

He raised an eyebrow, uncertain if they either were honest, or were ribbing him. Maki gave them theirs, and they also went and changed. Maki gave him a look that seemed to say, "I told you so," a sort of a smug look. Jean-Claude just sighed as the others returned, and she handed out the ears. Jean-Claude was about to go and change, but Maki said, "Um…actually, I was thinking that we should rehearse like this, because we do have to get used to it."

Jean-Claude said nothing as he picked up his guitars, heading for the music room to rehearse, steam pouring out of his ears. "Don't worry, big sister," said Anjou, "He'll come around."

Then it came the day for the concert, and the band was juiced. Initially, it was going to just be the band, but for the first two numbers, the school chorus and the string quartet wanted to get involved. After that, a special effects club wanted to help. This was turning from a small jam session into a huge concert. There was potential for this to be _the _act of the night. Therefore, they were anxious for things to happen. However, Jean-Claude still had a bit of trepidation on the outfit. It was okay to play in, but he wondered what everyone would think. What did surprise him was that everyone in the house, (except for Ren,) wanted to go. "Henry, Calera, I didn't think that this was your thing?" said Jean-Claude.

"Nonsense," said Calera, "We have to do more as a family, don't we? Did you not suggest this?"

"That's true," said Jean-Claude, "I just hope that…"

He stopped himself short as he saw Elda emerge. She looked dressed to kill. "Grandmamma," said Jean-Claude, "What are you thinking?"

"A night like this is great!" she said, "I'm hungry…"

She stopped, and said, "…um…for some…ah…fun, yeah, that's it, fun."

"Does Karin know you're going to be there?" asked Calera.

She said nothing, hoping to avoid the question, and said, "I hope you kids do well."

"Remember," said Calera, "Kenta's off limits!"

Elda knew that they knew, and she said, "You're no fun!"

Henry just sighed, and said, "Just be discreet!"

"Of course I will," she said, giving a sideward glance to Henry and a smile.

However, the pure bloods could not say much at her, because they all hoped that they would run into their preferences that night, and it would save them from the hunt later, depending on how late the festival ran. It was indeed going to be an interesting evening.

The arts festival covered everything from traditional Japanese things to modern arts, dancing, singing, theatre and skits, and so forth. The band would the one of the highlights of the evening. When it came time for the first set, they were going to open with ELO's _Fire on High_, and the effects crew had fire strips and pyrotechnics ready, as well as Leko and Fernell lights ready to go. They had already received the song list, and they were ready. The sounds of the song opening were eerie, and set the tone for the first song. Different lights were coming up, highlighting different band members. Then the strings ripped in, and the lights were dancing all over the place. The keyboard player shouted to Jean-Claude that this was looking like a Kiss concert, and Jean-Claude, "Except we're not Kabuki metal!"

He laughed at this as the fast drums ripped in, and the two of them were augmenting the stings. Everyone wondered if the small girl in the front had any skill until she started in on the lead licks. There were moments when they thought she was playing classical style. In a sense, she was, but she was not really trying. The reason for this was the fact that she was not using a guitar pick, but her own vampire nails to play, and it gave that effect. In the darkened state on stage, along with perspective from the platform to the dance floor, no one noticed. Right before a tempo change in the song, Jean-Claude stepped away from the keys, and whipped around his acoustic 12-string to play the main theme of the piece. The base joined him, then Anjou added her electric to the mix, and the place was now rocking. The fire strips flashed and flared as the piece continued, but Anjou had all she could do to keep from bolting considering how close to the flames she had to stand. When that was finished, Jean-Claude set down the guitar, and sat at the piano. The quartet then jumped into Beethoven's fifth, and then Anjou ripped into _Roll over Beethoven_, as Jean-Claude joined in his lead vocals and piano. That changed the mood, and showed that there was going to be some variety to the music that night. The only thing that Jean-Claude did not like was the first number, because he felt that it would send the wrong spirit out, and he wanted to insure that, if he had to do secular, it was not going to be anything that was negative or a downer. At least they got that one out of the way first. The only thing he liked about the song was the fast guitar riffs, which he did play with relish. However, he did have to open up the shirt to cool off. He was wearing a tee shirt underneath, but some of the girls screamed, thinking that he was trying to look sexy. He realized, "Bad idea," but he could not take it back. Despite that, the set was going well. The climax of the first set, however, was when Anjou did her thing in _Circle Sky_, and then when she stepped up to the mike to sing a song. She said, "I want to sing this song in dedication to my sister, Karin, and the doll of her blood, Kenta."

Everyone thought it was some kind of Halloween term of endearment, but it truly meant something else. It did not matter, because, when she began to sing _Love Song for a Vampire_, the mood was beautiful, explosive, and romantic all at the same time. Kenta and Karin were dancing very close, not ceasing to gaze into one another's eyes. This did not escape the gaze of Henry, as he danced with his wife, who was beginning to feel the aggravation that any father feels when he sees his daughter like this. However, Calera said, "Mind your own business!", and planted a big kiss on him. Karin used that chance to plant a big one of her own on Kenta. Elda, however, was having a time of things, trying not to go crazy, because the love in the air was electric, and everyone thought her fangs were a great Halloween look. Finally, she could not stand it anymore, and followed one couple who were leaving the dance floor for more private digs, and when out of sight, she popped them both! Not satisfied, she went back, hoping to find more. This marked the end of the first set, and the others spread out as a DJ took over.

Jean-Claude came off stage, and there were conversations going on about three couples that had not been seen since the start of the dancing. Jean-Claude asked who they were, and it was three couples that were known for being the most romantic on campus. Jean-Claude rolled his eyes, and excused himself. At this, Yuriya joined up with him and said, smiling, "What do you think?"

"You know what I'm thinking!" he said.

Sure enough, they found Elda heading back to the crowd, looking quite happy, and looking as if she had had one too many. "Honestly, Grandmamma, we can't take you anywhere!"

"Aw," she said, "Don't be a party pooper—just one more couple…please?"

"You're done!" he said, and ran into Henry, saying, "Can you do something about her?"

He sighed as he guided his mother to a place where she could sleep it off, and where he could keep an eye on her. However, she was not the only one in action. What no one knew was that Ren had come on his own, and he had already found a stressed out girl, and took her away. Meanwhile, Anjou had found a jealous girl between the sets, and it happened to be a girl that was jealous of one of the missing couples. "I can't believe them," she snapped, "They're off doing God knows what!"

She did not notice the little batgirl slip up to her and say, "It sounds to me like you would love to be in her place."

Now she looked embarrassed, and said, "Well, maybe you're right, but, still, he deserves better than her."

She was so engrossed on that couple that she did not notice how Anjou was guiding her away, saying, "You can talk to me, I listen well."

They sat on the stairs of the school, and she began to open up to Anjou. However, Anjou was inching up to her, and said, "Relax, dear woman, I can take that away from you."

Before she could react, Anjou was already feeding. Some minutes later, Anjou returned for the second set, and Jean-Claude was tapping his wristwatch saying, "Where were you?"

She just said, "I'm sorry, I was just grabbing a bite."

After their first song, there was a bit of a stir with some of the people, because three normally tight couples were grousing and fussing. What was more interesting that there was a girl who everyone thought would jump all over this chance to take away that man, and she just acted as if she did not care. No one knew what to make of it, but they just tried their best to ignore the fuss, and enjoy the rest of the night. Everything seemed to be going well, but they had no idea that they were being watched.

Boris had sent Ivan to check out the concert, bringing about three other vampires with him that were more skilled than either the first probing mission, or the three fools that risked blowing it all from the club. They moved amongst the crowd unnoticed, and discovered that the Markers were in force that night. They still did not know who the blood cow was, but they were going to try some things to see if they could not dig out that information. What was more interesting was the fact that one of the Markers were on stage, acting as if she was one of the humans, playing that god-awful music. However, Ivan began to get a glint in his eye, and after looking things over, figured that she would be the best target. She was young and probably not all that developed in her abilities, and they were not even sure if she was fully awakened yet. One thing they figured was this: Henry knew who the blood cow was, and they could use this girl to get that information, one way, or another. All they had to do was wait for things to break up, wait for her to be alone with that human that seemed to like to be with her all the time, (maybe her blood doll, or maybe her g'hul, they were not sure,) get him out of the way, and snatch her up. They just had to be patient.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter XVII

As they continued to watch the concert, the renegades were getting tabs on who was here from the Marker family. By the head count, everyone was there. However, during the break, they noticed the one guy in white that looked like a dork staying very close to her. His aura did not read g'hul, but something else. It was not quite vampire, though it was there. They were not sure, but they had a guess. They then knew that this would warrant further investigation, because if it was what they suspected, then there could be trouble. On the other hand, if he was what they thought, then they may be able to execute the death sentence against him that another group of renegades tried to exact. If it was, they knew he was deadly, because he practically wiped out that entire pack of renegades. There was rumored to be one left, but they were not sure who that was. If he or she were to be found, they would have to try, and then recruit that one. They knew he or she would jump at the chance for revenge. They had to formulate a plan, because, if the family left as a group, then it would be hard to get the daughter. If they became desperate enough, they may go for any of the children, but that would have to wait until the time.

They finished the last set, but people were begging for more, so he called them together, and he said that he wanted to leave them in a better mood. Thus, he pulled out Annie's Song to start, and that caught Karin's attention as she danced with Kenta. "I thought that was him that morning!" she said, "I wonder what he was doing at that time?"

"I don't know," said Kenta, "Taking a shower?"

She chuckled, and said, "I thought about going over to check. Now, wouldn't that have been embarrassing if he was bathing!"

They laughed, but then snuggled close as the song continued. He did _Wild Montana Skies _with Anjou, and finished off with Supertramp's _Give a Little Bit_, which he dedicated to Yuriya. Yuriya was standing at the front by that point, and looking dreamily up at her beau. She looked happy, until something caught her attention. She snapped her head around, and noticed someone trying to make his way through the crowd. She did not catch a face, which made her concerned. No one was leaving, so why was he. She glanced back over at him, nodded her head in that direction, and went on. Jean-Claude thought that odd, but he wrote it off as her wanting to meet him after in that direction and he continued the song. Yuriya made her way out of the crowd in time to see six men talking very intensely. Then one looked up, and noticed that someone was staring at them. That got the attention of the rest, and they began to look up. Yuriya now felt conspicuous, and wheeled around to head back into the crowd. This is what the rest saw, and they began to talk some more. Ivan then said, "You two: follow her. See what she found out, find out what she knows, or may have discovered. Then drain her, and ditch her body—discreetly, but not so discreetly that we cannot send a message to Marker."

On that order, they split up, and went to work.

The festival was over, and people started slowly to make their way on. Elda was on cloud nine, and they had to guide her home. The rest of the Marker family made their way home, as did Karin and Kenta. Yuriya waited patiently for Jean-Claude and the rest of the band to finish packing. They knew the next day would involve the students coming to help clean up, so they did all they could then to alleviate some of what they had to do the next day. They also did this to provide cover for Anjou, so that, if anyone questioned why she was not there to help, he could tell them that she did her bit the night before, so it was cool. Yuriya immediately kissed him, and said, "You were fantastic tonight, baby," as she held him close, and cleared a lock of his hair from his face. He stared into her eyes, saying, "When I got here, I never thought I would meet someone like you—someone that understands, and someone that can see through my eyes."

"When my uncle first sent me here," she said, "It was not for something good. In the end of that, people got what they wanted anyway, and I could live my life. I know that I could never know what you have been through, but I never want to see that happen to you again. If it comes to the ultimate battle, I want to be by your side."

"What are you saying?" he asked.

"I don't know," she answered, "I just want to see what the future holds, and if it holds us."

"You want to marry me?" he asked.

"So, you're finally proposing?" she said, teasingly.

"Hey, whoa, I mean," he stuttered, but she put a finger on his lips, and said, "Let's wait a bit before we commit. However, it just seems to me that it is inevitable, don't you think?"

She then gave him a serious look, and he said, "You really see that?"

She looked at him curiously, and said, "Don't you think so?"

After about three seconds, a smile began to curl up over his lips, and he said, "Funny, I've only known you for a couple of months, and I feel such a kinship with you. I want to say, 'We're moving to fast,' but the more I try to run from it, the more I loop right back to it. Would it work?"

"No one has to know what we are," she said, "Besides, with Karin in the picture, there could be a chance for us."

Jean-Claude thought about it, and said, "If we could not, would you still have me?"

"For all eternity, my love," she said, "There could be none to replace you."

Jean-Claude gave it a bit more thought, and then said, "If we could, would it be wise?"

"What do you mean?" she said.

"I mean, would our children be vampires, like us, human, one of each, depending on how many children we have? Would the council even allow it? They are tolerating us, thanks to Henry. However, what happens after that? They would not mind us being together as long as we both remain sterile. Yet, if we had kids…"

He had to stop, and he said, "Listen to me—I'm talking like I've already put a ring on your finger!"

"Baby," she said, "Whether or not we did, these are things that do need to be discussed," affecting a serious look on her face.

He rubbed his neck, and he then said, "Let's leave that to the future. Besides, we have eternity—just about—don't we?"  
She smiled, and moved in close to him, setting her head on his chest, saying, "Yes, let's just enjoy now."

None of this went unnoticed. They had originally planned to isolate her, but now it seemed that they had to change plans again. The six then saw that there was none left but the two kids, and Anjou. Then Ivan snapped his fingers, and he said, "Wait! Look how she is away from the couple. Move in now!"

Anjou set down her "axe" and went to throw something away. When she turned the corner, she was immediately gagged and hauled away. Anjou was at a loss, but she then remembered that some of her bats were literally hanging around the show, and she immediately sent them to Jean-Claude. Meanwhile Jean-Claude and Yuriya were getting ready to go, and they turned to fetch Anjou. However, all they saw was her guitar. Instantly, Jean-Claude sensed trouble, and his suspicions were confirmed when two bats showed up, squealing and fussing. "Someone's got Corn Muffin," he said, his posture instantly changing. He tried to reach out mentally, and he felt her distress faintly. He then knew that there was indeed trouble. His blood was boiling. His entire countenance changed, and Yuriya knew that Hell was about to descend on Tokyo. He reached out mentally to his own bats, told them the problem, and told the bats there to hook up with his own, and scour the city. Once they knew something, contact him, and tell Corn Muffin help is on the way. Maki saw the look on Jean-Claude's face, and she quickly said, "What's wrong?"

"Yuriya," he said, "Take Maki and have Karin get my outfit. Bring it here, but don't tell anyone else, and tell Karin to keep quiet."

"Whatever for?" asked Yuriya.

"If my suspicions are correct," he said, "They know that she's connected to Henry, and they may try to use her to find Karin. We cannot have any of the adults panic and do something stupid. We have to act now, and resolve this before it goes further."

"What are you going to do in the meantime?" she asked.

"I'm going to get reinforcements," he said, "strong reinforcements. When we have found her, I will send Bruce to you, and have him guide you to where I am. Your pyrotechnics could come in handy."

With that, they started to go. However, instead of Maki running, Yuriya took the ends of her dress and stuffed them into her belt, worked her blood, picked up Maki, and said, "You'd be too slow. Just hang on tight."  
On that note, she took off like shot through a gun. You could hear Maki scream in surprise to the scream as they took off. Yuriya's enhanced condition allowed her to run fast, and hold tight to Maki, as Maki held tight out of sheer terror! In the meantime, Jean-Claude went to find help.

Wiener met up with his grandfather at Julian's after the festival. Ever since the fight, Victor had done everything that he could to insure that his grandson would be more prepared for the fight. He did not want to see his grandson that deep in it again. "What are you doing here, grandfather?" asked Wiener, "I though you and Elda were going out tonight?"

"Well, she was at the festival," he said, "but I guess the atmosphere was a bit too much for her. I think she had a bit too much tonight."

"Are you saying she's a lush?" asked Wiener.

Victor gave him a look with raised eyebrows, and Wiener caught the hint, acknowledging his look with a, "Oh!" and they went on. They were not far from their place, when they saw an oddly clad man in a white, shiny bellhop jacket with bat wings approach. Victor was not sure who or what this was, and was ready to cold cock the weirdo, and call the wagon. Fortunately, Wiener recognized Jean-Claude from the festival, and said, "Jean-Claude _was its los?_"

Jean-Claude caught his breath, and said, "_Wir haben eine Grosse problem! Sie haben Corn Muffin genommen!_"

"Corn Muffin?" asked Wiener.

"Anjou," he said.

Victor said the German word for "feces" under his breath, and then asked, "_Die saboteur Nosferatu sind sie?_"

"Ya," said Jean-Claude.

Victor thought for a few minutes, and then he grabbed both boys and rushed them into the house. Wiener knew the look in his grandfather's eyes, and that only meant that they were going in for the fight. Wiener and Victor started to prepare, and this time, they could wear clothes more suitable for vampire hunting. However, it was not something that was as loud as what they used to wear, but it was intimidating enough. Wiener then asked, (in Japanese, because he was more used to using it with his classmates,) "Where are we looking?"

"I have some 'scouts' on it right now," he answered, "Once I know, we can act. In the meantime, I'm going to send bat to those bringing my equipment."

"_Du bist wilkommen zu alles hier,_" said Victor, meaning, "You are welcome to all here," and he pointed to all in the room.

"_Danke,_" he said, and started to inspect the ordinance. He did not normally need anything more than his trusty saber and skills, but tonight, he thought an extra slice of pain was in order. If he saw so much as a scratch on Anjou, he was going to be sure that they suffered horribly before they died.

By this point, Yuriya arrived at the Marker's residence, with Maki still on her back. However, when Yuriya let go to drop off Maki, Maki stuck like glue, with her heart racing at double time cadence. "Its okay, Maki, you can let go now," said Yuriya.

A whimper was all that Maki could get out. She then had to pry her off, and set her down. She said, "Just stay here. You're so pale right now, they would ask questions."

"Yep!" she squealed, very content to sit on the porch swing.

Yuriya entered in and slipped up the stairs without being heard. She came up to Karin's room, and knocked lightly. "Karin, are you in there? It's Yuriya."

She opened the door, and said, "What's with all the whispering?" but Yuriya pushed her in and said, "This has to be kept quiet. Jean-Claude sent me, and asked me to get his hunting gear."

Karin did not like the sound of it, and she wanted more information. "The reason for the secret is because, if your father knew, he might panic, and blow the whole thing, or make it worse than need be."

Karin looked at her, and said quite frankly, "What happened?"

Yuriya sighed heavily and said, "Renegades may have gotten Anjou, and he's going after them."

Karin was about to get up and tell her father, but Yuriya pulled her back down, saying, "No, Karin, they took her to get to you. If your father panics, he may cause what he wants to prevent. Let them handle it."

"Who is 'them?'" asked Karin.

"I don't know," said Yuriya, "All he said was 'reinforcements.'"

Against her better judgment, they went into Jean-Claude's room, and they were able to retrieve his things. At that moment, a rather large bat latched onto the window, and by its size, it had to be Bruce. Yuriya came in, and pulled him in. The instant she did, Jean-Claude linked up with her, and told her where they were. She said, "Maki's out front, and I'm leaving her here," said Yuriya, "So stay with her. I think she's a bit shook from the run up here."

They quietly went down stairs, and left the house. They saw Maki sitting there, still in a bit of shock, and Karin sat down with her. "Are you okay?" asked Karin.

"Yuriya…fast…run REAL fast!" she sputtered out.

Karin looked at her, and said, "What happened?"

"She'll come out of it soon," she said, "She'll tell you then."

With that, she hiked her dress back up to what she had done before, and took off again, leaving a wake a leaves behind her. Karin, at that moment, got the answer.

By this time, she caught up with Jean-Claude, and he got changed. When he came out, Wiener asked, "What now?"

"We wait," said Jean-Claude, "By my count, word should come soon."

"How do you know?" asked Yuriya.

"When Ricardo told the other bats what the deal was, Anjou's entire company of bats were out of the house and flying. With the amount of them, it won't take long. In addition, they are communicating with her now, and she's okay, but they are not sure where she is yet. I told Brownie to tell them to tell her that I am coming, and to hang tight. She said that she would keep them busy if she could, and not to worry. I told her to give them a warning. Knowing Corn Muffin, the way she tells things, they better be losing control of bodily functions."

With the glow in his eyes, all three in the room realized that these creatures might have crossed the line with him. Of course, they had a long time ago, but this time was going to be very ugly.

Meanwhile, at one of the piers by the harbor, they brought in their bargaining chip, and set her down. They had foolishly forgotten to blindfold her, not realizing how powerful she actually was. She was hoping to get her bats closer to her, because the connection was weak, and there was no clear way to get communication through as to where she was. All she knew was that he was coming, and that was all she needed to know. As soon as her bats were in range, she would send the message through. In the meantime, she had to get the message through to these clowns that they had just made a foolish mistake. "This girl is creeping me out!" said one of them, as they carried her in.

"What do you mean," said another, "She's just a girl."

"Look at that stare!" said the first, "She doesn't even blink! It's almost as if she's trying to kill me with that stare."

The other ignored this, and they hauled her in. They set her on a chair and bound her hands. She just stared at the wall. Ivan came up to her, and saw that death stare. "Well, little miss," he said, with an evil grin, "What's wrong? Do you think your daddy is going to be able to do anything?" he mocked.

She lifted her head slowly, and stared him dead in the eyes, saying nothing. "What's that all about?" he said, "You don't think you're going to do anything, do you?"

All she did was continue to stare. However, she did see the window behind him, and noticed a familiar image hanging from the top, with Brownie right next to him. Her staring now was her concentration on her bat, and the communication through it, and Brownie. He looked at her, and said, "What's wrong—cat got your tongue? Don't worry; you'll see your daddy real soon."

The last comment was made with evil overtones; however, Anjou looked him dead in the eyes, and said, "My father is the least of your worries."

His eyes narrowed, and he said, "What is that supposed to mean."

"You shall be dead by sunrise," she said blankly and quietly.

He became enraged and smug with that statement, and backhanded her—HARD! Even with her fangs retracted, they still stuck out a bit, and blood trickled out of her mouth. She had cut her own tongue, and he had split her lip. She naturally started to heal up, but her face betrayed tears. Now she looked at him enraged, but he just grabbed her shirt, got face to face with her, and said, "When your father comes, and we get what we want, that is the least of what you are going to get," and he called her a blood sucking female dog. One of the men asked, "Shall we put in a call now?"

"No," he said, "Let's wait a day. Let her be missed, and let them panic, and then we put in the call. In the meantime, call Boris and let him know the operation has been a success thus far."

He knew that Boris would be along once Marker was involved. However, none of this was unnoticed, as Anjou had hoped. The image was shot to Ren, who was just finishing another escapade. The image caused him to vamp out instantly. He was gone like the wind. He only hoped Jean-Claude was seeing this, because he wanted to be sure he had a piece of the action, if they were not all dead by the time he arrived. He need not have worried, because at that moment, everyone at Victor's place saw his head snap up, eyes as wide as saucers, and if they could have seen under his scarf, they would have seen his fangs. He stood up quickly and said, "At the docks—someone dies tonight!"


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter XVIII

Ivan decided to put someone in front of her with a large blade, just to intimidate her. Of course, it had no effect, because she knew what they did not, and every passing moment was being broadcast to the knowing parties. Both Ren and Jean-Claude wanted to go postal, and they had to fight the urges to do so, lest harm come to Anjou. Both Ren and the posse arrived at about the same time. Ren instantly wanted to go in, but Victor intervened, saying that that behavior could jeopardize the life of his sister. In his state of mind, he snapped, "Out of my way, human: this is not your fight, and I take no orders from your kind!"

He was ready to backhand Victor when Jean-Claude caught his hand. "This is his fight as much as ours!" he growled, "I want to kill those things in there so bad, my penis is hard!"

"How is any of this his fight?" snarled Ren.

"His kind is as much at threat as ours," said Jean-Claude, "Besides, Elda would never forgive him if anything happened to Anjou, and he had done nothing."

Ren resisted for a moment or two more, and then relented. He then said, "It's only because you have proven trustworthy, mule, that I even listen to you," and he yanked his hand down. He then said, "What's your plan?"

"It's already happening now," said Jean-Claude, as he pointed to the shack where they were. The entire roof was crawling with bats. "Ren," he then said, "on my cue, cut the power. We're going to mess with them at first. Then I am going to use the bats to mess with them, and then try to find out who is in charge. I would like them alive, but if not, make it horrible for them."

At this, some of the bats were making their way into the hut, and chaos was about to ensue.

Inside, Anjou had healed up, but she had the renegades doing all they could to ridicule her, and talk down her father. They were trying to terrify her, but they had no idea that this was a useless gesture. Anjou well knew that help lay only 30 meters away or so, and her bats were informing her to be ready for chaos. They told her not to move from her spot unless she was in danger. As one sat their trying to intimidate her, two bats flew in front of his face. He shook it off, knowing that old buildings like this may have bats in them, although he found it odd that they would either not be hunting, or hibernating for that matter. However, not too long after, a few screeches were heard. A few more bats buzzing the vampires head followed this. What they did not see was about three bats go behind the hands of Anjou and start to gnaw off the ropes on her wrists. Ivan did not like the feeling in the room, and he said, "You'd better not be playing games, girl."

He rose up a dagger, as if he was going to harm her, but she stared at him, saying, "I am not valuable to you?"

He sneered, and said, "Not enough to damage the product!"

Before he could move, bats came out of everywhere, buzzing all over Ivan, and then over the six in the room. They swung in vain at the bats around them, but they could not inflict any damage. At this, Anjou stood, and looked at Ivan, saying, "You should have let me go. Now, death is going to seem a welcome thing to you."

When she said that, she raised her hand. When she did, Ivan flew backwards hard into the wall. When that happened, the lights went out. They had enhanced vision to see in the dark, and even somewhat of sonar. However, the bats were interfering with that, and they were making it hard to see, even with their enhanced vision. One of them finally found the door, and then he went flying backwards with the door. It was Jean-Claude, and he thrust forward, slicing the vampire to ribbons. He fell to the floor, bleeding profusely. However, Jean-Claude did not take off his head. He let him lay there in pain, and then dragged him out, tied him in a sturdy chain. He knew that he did not have a lot of blood left to have strength to break the chain, and he would then spend time trying to heal up. However, Jean-Claude hung him from the pier in the salt water, knowing the torturous pain that he would be feeling. He knew that the salt water would accelerate the bleeding, and that, by the time he healed up, he would be too weak to resist. Listening to him squeal in pain and flop weakly around was worth it all. He then turned about to see if the others had left him anything.

Inside, all hell was breaking loose. Ren confronted one with a pistol, but the fight with Victor the year before had taught him much. He had just had a fresh fill of blood, and he was energized for the fight. He deftly dodged the bullets, and knocked away the pistol. He then quickly snatched his opponent's hand and crushed it. In his pain, Ren had his nails extended, and started cutting his opponent up. Ren then found a broken piece of board, and thrust it through the chest of the renegade. Even though myth says that that should kill a vampire, all it does is paralyze him. This was his goal, as the vampire stiffened, he was then handed over to Jean-Claude, and he took the dip as well. However, Yuriya, not being experienced in combat, was having trouble with her attacker. She had all she could do to keep him off, and the fight went out onto the dock. He was about to thrust in a sword, when she raised her hand in panic. The vampire suddenly erupted into a full body burn, and he began to scream, and swing around like crazy. This was followed up by a swift kick from Jean-Claude, and the man landed in the water. The flame was doused, but the salt water did not help, and he began to flop in the water as if her were a fish on a dock. The tide caught him, and began to take him out to sea. Jean-Claude knew that the sharks of the Pacific would like a nice charbroiled meal, and let it go. Meanwhile, two of them ran out of a rear door, and ran right into the Sinclairs. They brought their eyes forward, pulled pistols, and said, "Prepare for death, kine!"

The Sinclairs did not even hesitate. Before they were able to level their pistols, the Sinclairs each had a sawed off pump action 20 gauge shotguns, "I'll see that, and raise you!" said Victor as they opened fire. That stopped the vampires dead in their tracks. They then both pulled long Bowie knifes and plunged them in the hearts of their assailants, to paralyze them. They took Jean-Claude's hint and dragged the bodies over to the dock, chaining them as the others had been chained. Meanwhile, Ivan was terrified. There were so many bats flying around he could not get his bearings. "Stop these bats, devil child!" he cried, but the bats parted way, and she was standing there. "Now you shall pay for striking me, you bastard child vampire!" she said. He was about to strike when she raised her hand, and he flew out the open door, harassed by a cloud of bats as he did. When he landed, he heard a sword clang next to him. It was his own sword—a katana. He looked up to see the sight of Jean-Claude in his battle clothes. "I should just take care of you, but I am willing to give you trial by combat, scum!" said Jean-Claude, "If I am the abomination, and you are so much of a god, then take me down, if you can."

Rage filled Ivan, and he quickly rolled over and snatched up his sword. He was on top of Jean-Claude quickly, but Jean-Claude was quick to parry off the blow. Soon, the sounds of steel were heard over the dock, as the two clashed. With their enhanced abilities, they were moving faster than the human eye could follow. Ivan was good, but he was in a panicked state. This mule, his mule sow, and the two kine had far too quickly taken out his men, and now the mule was bent on vengeance. However, he knew that he was powerful, and he could succeed whereas the others had not. After dispatching him, taking out the others would be no problem. He would pull up his colleagues and let them feed to heal up. "You really don't think you can win, do you mutt?" said Ivan.

With that, he did a three-strike maneuver that normally dropped most vampires that had ever challenged him. However this was no ordinary leech, and he had never faced anything like this. The only thing he was able to do was put a superficial cut on Jean-Claude's face. After a short growl of pain, he redoubled himself, and said, "I don't think, I do," and just kept him at bay, waiting for him to get desperate. In fact, Jean-Claude had not even attempted an attacking blow, but contented himself on parrying the blows. He was conserving his energy, letting his opponent wear himself out. This had been the mistake of Ivan's past opponents, and this was a lesson that Jean-Claude's mentors taught him early on. Ivan finally over extended himself, and found a saber in his chest. Ivan stood paralyzed, without even the ability to speak. "Impressive," said Jean-Claude, "Very few get through to blood me, but believe me when I say that it only hastens their doom. Now, you look overheated from your efforts. It's time to cool you off."

He did the same to him as he had to the others in order to weaken him, and watched him squirm, too paralyzed to pull out the saber. As they sat in the water, he said, "Find some cloth or canvas and lay it out. As I bring them up, wrap them neatly, and do not remove the blades. Victor, get your truck and we'll head up towards my place. I have plans for them."

Yuriya noticed that he was calmer now, and as they loaded the last vampire on the truck, he took a position in back with a shotgun just in case they moved. Yuriya decided to sit back there with him. She snuggled close to him and said, "How come I'm not like you. I have to be in a near death state before I can use any forceful powers."

Jean-Claude then asked, "How much was your vampire parent around?"

She hung her head, and said, "Not often. He left it to mother, who could be up in the day with me, and only showed up a couple times a year. He had to hide his relationship."

"My parents could not be apart," he said, "So; I think that's what led to things. Maybe your father had the right approach?"

"I don't know," she said, "because I never had the chance to enhance the vampire side of me. In fact, I had no idea what I was until it happened."

"Why did they not tell you?"

"They knew there was an outside chance that I would be a normal human," she answered, "and they wanted to wait before telling me."

"What happened?" he asked.

"Father died before he could teach me anything, and there was little my mother could tell me. When I awoke as a d'amphile, I didn't even know what was going on with me. I never knew what happened to that person, because I did not know how to erase his memory. Mother died soon after, and my uncle raised me. He tried to teach me, but there was not much that he could do. A lot I have learned on my own, and from you. Sadly, and I don't know if you know this, but my uncle tried to use me to find Karin, because he was a part of a faction that started a small civil war here last year. It was a power play over who would control Karin's blood. Whoever got it could have power."

"I heard, but what we have now is worse. These renegades want power, just like the others, except they have delusions of grandeur. I guess my mentors knew that this might happen, so they sent me here to do something about it."

"Sometimes I envy you."

"Why is this?"

"You had people to teach you, and help you be fully what you are."

"That, sadly, came at a cost."

"Then both of us have lost to this crazy hate."

"Just because we are different species of hominid does not mean that we cannot get along. This scum here doesn't help much. However, maybe, with all of this, we can end it here in Japan, and let things spread. We could be the model for others. What is the fear? I just don't get why people would rather fear than try to learn."

"Fear is the easier path. Remember, we are talking about human nature."

Jean-Claude had to concede the point, and knew that it might take centuries. However, if he managed to stay upright, there was a chance. If Karin's blood could allow him or her offspring, there was a real chance. After a bit, she said, "What are you planning for these five here?"

"I told Anjou what I would do would be legendary, even in Hell. I don't know if I have succeeded, but I know that they are yet in tremendous amounts of pain. They are in a bloodlust now, and they are not going to be satisfied. However, I am starving, and I hope that one of them has at least enough for me to renew myself. This always causes me to spend blood, and have to feed sooner than I need to. In the meantime, I think that they all need to enjoy a sunrise together."

She looked in horror, knowing what they had already been through, and knew that they were not going to be allowed a merciful death. "Why don't you send one back as a warning?"

"Believe me," he said, "When they do not return, or even contact whoever is in charge, they'll know, especially when bodies are not found."

"What about that shack?"

"With no bodies left behind, and Anjou's bats taking care of it, no one will ever be the wiser. They will restore the shack to what it had been, and clean up. No one but the renegades will know."

They got to the hill, and Jean-Claude tapped on the window, telling Victor to stop. They stopped at the fog line, and said for everyone that was allowed up the hill to help drag the vampires to the rear of the house.

Ren helped to set up the poles and securely chain the vampires to them. Because they had lost so much blood, they were too weak to resist or heal up. All the while, Jean-Claude was singing _Sunshine on my Shoulder._ Once they were up, Ren said, "If you'll excuse me, I am going to spend the day with one of my dolls. All this action has made me hungry."

"I know how you feel," said Jean-Claude.

"Besides," said Ren, "I can't watch this. It's about an hour from sunrise, and I have to get in, but I am hungry as well. Do you have to do this? Even though they are renegades, I would never wish this on any vampire."  
"Ren, you know what they did to her," said Jean-Claude, pointing to Anjou on the porch with the others, "I have to assure her that if this ever happens again, vengeance shall be swift."

As he was saying this, Henry and Calera approached. Anjou had filled in everyone on what had happened. At first, they were angry that they had not been told. However, upon thinking about it, they had to admit that Jean-Claude had been correct in his assumptions, so they reluctantly had to let it go. However, Henry still felt the need to talk to Jean-Claude. As Ren walked away, Henry approached. "This is very severe, son," he said, "I'm still a little cross that you acted alone."

He looked at Henry very frankly, and said, "You know that I've always been a lone wolf. I do apologize, but I knew that we could handle things. If it had been big, I would have called you. I just did not want you to cave in over your daughter. I knew how to handle it without bargaining. I don't bargain, by the way. It would be hard for you to act with your daughter in that situation, don't you think?"

Henry had to admit to some of this, and then he said, "Still, son, Anjou was put in danger…"

"…put in danger by these scum," he interrupted, "If they had left well enough alone, this conversation would not be happening. Besides, all this was done under your watch, and, they did it to get at Karin. Fortunately, they have not figured out that she is your daughter."

The five on the poles looked down in horror, knowing that they had come close to victory, that the blood cow was not far away, and now knowing that there was nothing they could do about it. Henry chewed on this for a moment, and then Jean-Claude then said, "What would you have done to this bunch had you caught them?"

Henry gained some steel to his voice, and said, "Because it was my daughter, this is the least of what I would have done."

"Oh, don't worry, father," said Jean-Claude, "I made them suffer from the first moment of contact until now. For one of them, it's going to get a bit worse before it comes to the end."

With that, Yuriya approached with a tumbler from the house. Meanwhile, Henry stepped in front of the group, and said, "You five have been acting in this city without my knowledge or approval, and you already know that brings severe consequences."

As he was saying this, Jean-Claude was removing the blades in order for them to better hear and respond to Henry. He continued, "However, it's bad enough you did this, worse that you kidnap one of your own and mean her harm, but what is the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back was that it was my daughter! You, in a sense, have threatened my whole family! You deserve death!"

Ivan said, "Those two mules deserve it more!"

"What's wrong?" said Jean-Claude, "What do you fear in humans?"

He laughed, and said, "You are a fool! You would mingle with your prey. Does the lion socialize with the sheep on which he feeds? Does the eagle have tea with the mockingbird he eats? We are superior! We should rule them!"

Henry was about to address this, but he saw the look on Jean-Claude's face, and knew that he could give a more convincing answer. "We are superior?" he asked.

"No, _we_ are superior; you are an abomination!" said Ivan.

"So, you've figured it out?" he asked.

"Your aura tells on you," said Ivan.

"Be that as it may," continued Jean-Claude, "Your thinking is no different than the sub-humans that thought themselves gods, and brought nothing but war and destruction on this earth. In fact, you're worse. One thing I learned early on was that, before a man, or vampire, tried to conquer the earth, he should first learn to conquer himself. When he does that, he finds that conquest of the earth pales in comparison. When one has control of his faculties at that point, the desire to conquer leaves. The only thing he wishes to do at that point is to try to have people achieve the state of _ubermensch_ that he has achieved, and better his fellow hominid—human or vampire. Considering the amount of power we wield, attempting to conquer ourselves should be the first thing we need to try, and teach our offspring. If enough did that, vampires would not have to hide in the shadows. You're also worse, because your arrogant attitude, combined with the power you wield, makes you worse than the human dictator. If you thought Hitler was bad, what do you think would happen if the humans won all-out war against us? That is all your friends will bring on us if you keep up your actions. If that is the case, I am bound and determined to stop you. I shall not have that happen. Besides, we are badly outnumbered anyway, and we cannot win such a war, even if what you think Karin's blood can do were true. You will not make the vampire superior, or rulers, you will cause the wholesale slaughter of the vampire. It's because of your kind that we have to hide! It's because of your kind that we cannot ever have peace! It is your kind that caused what would normally have been good vampires to cause what happened to me and my family!"

He then walked up to Victor, took the glass, hung it over his heel, slit his Achilles' tendon, and filled the tumbler, having to milk some out, due to his already low blood. "I normally would have bit you, but I want you awake."

He then pulled down his scarf, took off his hat, and drank. He felt the energy return to him with ecstasy on his face. Ivan said, "How can you drink the blood of vampires like that?"

"As you have so well pointed out," said Jean-Claude, "I am a mutt; that means I swing both ways, and I must say, you are quite flavorful and spicy. Evil tends to flavor the blood well."

At this point, they then recognized him from photographs from when he was younger, and was being hunted. "YOU!" thundered Ivan, and Jean-Claude said, "That's right. This is the icing on the cake for me, because, even though it was the hatred of your kind that caused my family to die, it also created me as I am now. All your kind did was made it worse on yourself. It has only been the hand of God that has protected me, because He knew that He could take that, and turn it against your evil through the very one your evil sought to destroy. It's just too bad you are learning this all too late. There is no way you could learn, and yet, I don't think that you would anyway. You have proven yourselves the reprobates, and thus, the abominations. Thus, it is ironic that, when it came time to cash in the chips, this 'mule,' this 'abomination,' as you had called me, would be your banker."

He then looked at the horizon, and saw the first indications of sunrise, saying, "Well, I'd like to enjoy the beauty of the sunrise with you, but, I'm tired, and I need to get some sleep. Therefore, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll retire. Say 'hi' to the Devil for me on your way to Hell."

He continued to enjoy his glass as he and Henry went into the house. He did not even give them a second glance. He then went up to Anjou, and said, "Sorry it took so long, Corn Muffin. I told you what would to happen to anyone who would hurt you. I told you I would never let you down."

"It's alright, Big Brother," she said as she hugged him, "I knew you would come."

"Let's go inside," he said, "You don't want to see this. To me, they're as good as dead."

She then smiled, and said, "They were as good as dead the second they touched me."

Jean-Claude smiled, and said, "That's the spirit," and they went inside, as they began to hear the first moans from the condemned. Before they went in, they began to beg for mercy and forgiveness. Jean-Claude did not even look back, and he said, "Just like unrepentant sinners: it's only when they realize that they can and will face the consequences of their evil are they ready to repent. How come they could not when they had the chance, before judgment hit?"

He shook his head, closed the door, and drew the curtains. He knew it would take a bit before death actually hit, but he was hoping they would turn to dust and blow away before Karin and Fumio woke up.

Upstairs, Jean-Claude slipped into his sleeping pants and tee shirt, was just getting into the bed, when he was shocked as Anjou slipped in wearing her nightgown. He coughed, a bit embarrassed, saying, "What are you doing?"  
"Maki stayed the night," she said, "It was too late for her to go home, and she was still a bit shook up from the run. I'm sorry, but I have no choice. Are the blinds closed tight?"

"Yes, Corn muffin," he said, and they heard the screams of pain and misery very faintly as it became more light outside. "Just ignore it…" he started to say, but Anjou put her finger to her lips, and said, "Ponder not on what are just memories now, for who hears the moans of the dead? What can be done for them?"

It was a cold statement, but a true one, and he let it go. He started to recline, and she snuggled up to him. It was awkward, but he took it in stride, and just held her like a father cradling his daughter. Before he fell asleep, he said, "Did Yuriya go home?"

"I didn't," he heard a voice say, and he looked up to see her there. She then said, "I'm just too exhausted to go home. I'm glad I have the day off, because I do need to sleep. Move over."

She then got on the bed, (which was a queen size bed, due to his size,) but not under the sheets, because she knew Jean-Claude was not ready for that. She was still not sure that she believed what he did, but she was willing to learn. For Jean-Claude, he appreciated her efforts to keep this from becoming something that would compromise his virtues, and hoped in her change, spiritually. He knew that she might just be the one that he would have to wed, because he knew that, at least at that point, there would be neither human nor vampire that would take him. Besides, if they did, he would have centuries to changer her mind. What punctuated the whole affair was, just before she drifted off, Anjou said, "Please, if something were to happen to mom and dad, that you two would take me in," as if their marriage were a forgone conclusion. They both cuddled her, and they all fell into a blissful sleep, sleeping through the death throes of the vampire waste roasting in the morning sun.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter XIX

It was about two in the afternoon by the time he awoke. Yuriya had already awoken and took her leave. She had her life at that time, so he paid her absence no mind. Anjou had rolled away by this point, and she was sleeping soundly on her side. He got out of bed on the other side, and put on his bathrobe. He then stepped out, and found that Maki had also left by that point, and that both Karin and Fumio were at work. He went into Karin's room and pulled back the blind. The poles were still there, as were a pile of clothes beneath each one, but the bodies were gone—completely turned to ash and blown away with the wind. "At least Fumio won't ask a lot of questions," he thought, and he went to put himself together. Once he had, he left Anjou sleeping in the bed and closed the door quietly behind himself. He put on his sunscreen and sunglasses and went outside.

He retrieved the clothes, and found some ash that had not blown away with the wind. He looked at it for a moment, and then scattered the ashes to the wind. He used the clothes to wipe off his hands, and he then set them amongst some rocks and ignited them. He was going to insure that there was nothing left of them to be found by anyone. It would be as if they never existed. After this, he took some time to walk, pray, and think. He knew how Elda still did not like humans, although she tolerated Fumio and Kenta for the sake of the children, and Victor, because she just needed someone with whom to be close, (and because he reminded her of Alfred.) What he was wondering was if what Elda believed was true. Maybe there is no chance, and things like what she remembered were not going to stop. Maybe what he believed was a pipe dream after all. If his parents had never met, though he would not have existed, things would not have been so tragic. Perhaps if vampires did mind their own business, things would be better. He could not believe how cold-blooded he could be when dealing with renegades sometimes. Although they were reprobate, was it too much? He finally found himself on the porch, sitting on the swing, thinking about all of this. He sat there a good half hour before he went back in. By this point, it was close to sunset, and he went in to fetch his saber and diamond dust whetstone. When he did, Anjou had moved to the center of the bed, and she looked very comfortable. Then it dawned on him. He fetched the sword and stone, waked over to Anjou, kissed her forehead, and said, "I do this for you."

He started going down stairs, and began to realize some things. Even if all he thought was the case, that would not have stopped Karin from being born. That would not have then stopped those that desired power using her for their own selfish gains. Where would Corn Muffin be right then? In fact, what would have happened that first night? Would Karin be in their hands by now, and would not have disaster then struck for the vampire? His very existence prevented this and the fact that Maki, Kenta, and now Fumio and Yukiko all knew the truth, and were comfortable with the whole thing. Moreover, Yuriya would still be more or less alone. No, this was a beautiful Job situation, he had come out better for it, and his resolve to change the paradigm was greater than before. He had not realized that the sun had set by this point, Karin and Fumio had already returned and were fixing supper, and he had not even started on his blade. He pulled it out, and began running the flat of the stone on the blade.

About five minutes passed, and Elda entered the room. She was wearing the slinky dress that she always wore around the house, and she saw the juggernaut whetting his blade. She examined him for a moment or two, and she then sat down on the couch opposite him. He looked up for a moment, and went back to his work, saying, "What's on your mind, grandmamma?"

"I should despise you," she said, "considering that you stand against everything I believe, but…"

Without even stopping, he said, "But what?"

Elda was weighing her words carefully, and she then continued, "…without you, we may have all died that night, and the grandkids would have been hurt, or worse. I suppose I owe you."

He stopped, smiled at her, and said, "You don't understand, it was my pleasure"

The then went back to his task, and said, "Besides, this is the first time that I have ever had a complete family, and did not have to worry about hiding."

That hit her hard. She had come in to try to convince him to give up his silly notions, but then she saw how he stood against all that would bring destruction to the vampires, even if he were a half-breed. Furthermore, she wondered why he even would care, after all that had happened to him. She finally said, "Look, if James were still here, you and him would have gotten along so well. You are the embodiment of everything he believed."

"And yet you are the opposite?" he queried.

"Son," she said, "He was a dreamer, but delusional. We came here about 200 years ago, escaping the persecution of the inquisition."

"I didn't think that was still going on in 1809," he said.

"Believe me," she said, "When you live in a catholic controlled country like France, such things still go on."

"You mean, 'went on,'" he corrected.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked, confused, "Are you saying that they don't do that anymore?"

"Not since the fall of Napoleon," he said, "Besides, you were around with him. How was it still going on with him in power? I thought him a bit more benevolent than that?"

"It's true he didn't tolerate much church interference," she said, "but when it dealt with our kind, the authorities turned a blind eye."

Jean-Claude thought for a moment, and then said, "How much have you paid attention to the mortal world."

She thought for a moment, and then said, "In truth, though we've been around things, and we have a rough sketch of history, we really don't know much for details about the mortal world, because we spend so much time trying to avoid it, except to feed, of course."

Jean-Claude was just finishing when he realized that he was going to have to educate her a bit. He re-sheathed his saber, set it down, and then said, "Much has changed in 200 years. What surprises me is why you did not go to the United States. There, those that fled the persecution would have had a much better chance."

"I don't follow," she said.

"You were alive for the war for independence in North America, were you not?" he then asked.

"Again, we know of things, but we don't have much dealing with mortal politics," she said.

"That has been your problem," he then said, quite frankly, "Just as much as those humans attacked you and your family out of fear, your fear has caused you also to act irrationally."

"Irrationally?" she asked, "How have we reacted irrationally?"

"It is simple," he said, "In order for fear to stop, on side or the other has to take the time to figure out what it is that makes the other side tick. When that happens, one often gets to the source of the problem. When **that** is attacked, education can begin, and fear can be dismissed. You really need to look at the philosophers that came along about one or two centuries before you had to flee. At that time, many places still scoffed at these philosophers. Yet, now, they are looked at as geniuses, because they had a handle on the human equation. Because of that, they were able to teach people how to cope with his fellow man better. This has not stopped evil men from rearing their heads. However, because of these thinkers, enough people arose to put them down. Since you have been here in Japan, much in the way of primitive thinking has gone by the wayside, many scientific advances have taken place, there have been two world wars, and man has even walked on the moon. Not bad for a bunch of ignorant humans, is it?"

Elda wondered just how much has happened under her nose, and yet how much she missed as she let it all pass by her without a glance. This also went for her peers, because the fear was still there. Seeing the gears in her head grinding, he continued, "There was one place, however, where many people fled, who understood the teachings of these philosophers, and were persecuted for it, where those ideas flourished. The ideas of Immanuel Kant and Descartes were put forth, as well as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, which led to the rise of democratic forms of government, the resurrection of the republic, and the belief that all people could live in peace. This place is now called the United States of America. Sure, it took them—us—some time to live up to our own ideals, but it happened. The point I am making is this: they established once and for all that all men, and in our case, all humanoids, were created equal, and are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Governments are then formed to insure those things, but their power comes from the consent of the governed. If the government then becomes destructive to those ends, the people need to alter it, or abolish it, and put something in place that will get the job done. More or less, America has not only upheld those ideals, but they have always fought for others to be able to enjoy those freedoms. Elda, the kind of things that took place in France at that time would never have been tolerated, for the most part, in America. The church does not control the state, and vice versa. Because of those freedoms, humans have become more educated, and more tolerant of differences. We know that in the uniting as one the differences, it only makes us stronger, like the steel in that sword before you. I grant you, it would have taken some time to heal rifts, but it would have happened. In America, these days, you would find far more humans that would tolerate us than you realize, once they learn about the truth of vampires, and how they are not out to destroy and kill. That's what they feared in the past, because they didn't like the feeding habits—no more than that. In the Bible, it says that humans are not to drink blood, because, in the blood is life. However, we are not humans, so that really does not apply. For us in the blood is life, and if we cannot get it, we die. Yet, because of the blood-drinking ban, combined with the undead myths and so forth, they went after us. All that is gone by the wayside, for the most part. Even if the fear still exists, it is not as such that they would start another round of Salem Witch Trials. There was even a politician in the early 50's that tried this against his fellow humans. Even though, for the most part, he was right, the way he went about it was so wrong that it reminded people of Salem. There is even a negative term because of him: McCarthyism. He tried to use it for his own power grab. However, too many people saw it for what it was, and now anything that even remotely resembles it is quickly attacked. Things have changed, Grandmamma."

She was deep in thought by this point, and she wondered just how much she, and her kind, had missed. "Man walking on the moon?" she asked herself, "Why would they want to do that?"

She then figured that, since they had not been spending their time trying to find them, they had instead turned their focus on things that are more constructive. Only a people who were not obsessed with control and power could achieve such things. Jean-Claude then said, "However, there is a greater thing that stands out, and I think is the true reason why you, or anyone else, would feel they have to hide. Normally, those who are so destructive have only power on their mind. I guess what I'm saying is that, be one human or vampire; people are people. Put anyone in the right conditions where you tell that individual that they can do what they want without worry of consequences, and he or she will do it. When he feels that it should be that way for him, he feels that he is denied this, and then has the means to change it, he will do it. Believe me, Grandmamma, it isn't just us that humans persecute, they persecute each other. Just because there is something a little bit different about another, some would be willing to annihilate those with the difference, if it would mean a greater grasp on power. These renegade vampires are not that different, except for the consequences that they would bring. You see, if they try for global conquest, there is no way we could stand against the entirety of the human race, because there is so few of us. Adolph Hitler was responsible for the deaths of 9 to 12 million people, 6 million of them Jews—his fellow humans—because they didn't fit the human ideal. If he had known about vampires, they would have also been on the hit list. If he could do that to his fellow man, what would stop humans from annihilating us? It's bad enough what he did. The point is that, if they are not stopped, then all the persecution that you fear will start again, except that, this time, there would be some justification for the action of the humans. They must be stopped if James' vision is ever to be true. In today's climate, there is more of a chance to be open. However, remember, there is never going to be a time where hate for us will entirely go away. However, there is still the chance that we can live in peace, despite the minority of haters, whose hatred would only be based off fear—panicked lack of knowledge. As you have seen with Fumio, Maki, and Kenta, education means the end of fear, the beginning of understanding, and allowance of tolerance. In America, there is the freedom to be what you want, without fear of reprisal. Some may not like it, but there, even if you hate something about someone, if you want you freedom, you have to tolerate it. That's how the law of the land over there works. This is why I have hope, and part of the reason why I fight. If I can root out the majority of the cancer in the vampire world, we have a chance. Returning hate for hate only leads to death and destruction. Remember what I said about love. Like that Billy Joel song I sang last night, we may not have started the fire, it may still burn on, but we must try to fight it."

Elda sat stunned. James had tried for decades to get her to see these things. She just never understood things until this outsider came in and said it again in his own way. Jean-Claude saw her deep in thought, and figured that he could toss this out: "If you still have hate, you are no better than those that murdered your family, as they did mine. I choose not to hate, because, if I do, then they won. You chose to hate, therefore, they ultimately beat you. This is why Jesus said to do good to those that persecute you, and to love your enemy. Even if you are an atheist, even that makes philosophical sense, doesn't it. Stop hating Elda, because it is destroying you within your heart. Turn it around and beat them!"

He picked up his saber and he was preparing to go. In that time, she remembered the things she had done in the past to Kenta, to Yuriya, nearly to him, and other humans, and realized that she had been no better than those had that tried to destroy her. What would it have accomplished? On the other hand, she looked at the way he chose to live his life, and wondered just what the difference was. She had to know. She asked, "If that is true, then what is the difference between that and what you do."

He stopped, turned about on his heel, and walked back, setting the saber back on the table. "That saber, and her cousins, has a history. Back in about the year that you fled Europe, there was a group called the Barbary Coast Pirates. They attacked shipping indiscriminately, and that included American shipping. They didn't care who you were, or who they killed. You had what they wanted, and would take it no matter what. However, their fatal mistake was going after a nation that believes in justice and righting wrongs. The United States Marines went after them, and with the help of the locals in Tripoli, Libya, put an end to the terror altogether. They were not seeking to persecute, but stop persecution. They didn't try to take power in Libya, but they put an end to an unjust bunch. The people of Libya were so grateful; they gave the Marine commander that same kind of saber as a gift. It has been the officer's dress blade in the Marines ever since. It represents swift justice against tyranny. They were not vigilantes, who interpret justice any way they wanted, but were those who merely went after those that were truly guilty, and let the punishment fit the crime. That's what I did to them last night. If I were just to kill any vampire because of what happened to my parents, then I am just as wrong as they are. If I take the time to insure that I go after only those that seek to squelch the freedoms of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and then I am justified, because, I seek to prevent more destruction than I would cause by stopping them. I am worse if I see this oppression and do nothing. It's the renegades, not the humans, which are the true threat to our kind, because it is they that cause the myths to continue, and the hatred to grow. Chew on that for a while, and I think you'll get the point."

At that point, Fumio stuck her head in and said, "Time for supper."

"Thank you, Usui-san; I'll be right there," he said, and then said to Elda, "By the way, I've only been a lone wolf because of the hate. That ended the day I met Karin, Anjou, and the rest of your family. They are doing more, because they realize that being divided is weakness. Civility starts in the family, and I think it's high time that this family unite. We can set the example. Come and join us, would you, we are all dining together tonight. Tomorrow, they'll be in the Tokyodome for my Rugby match for the all-Japan final. Why don't you come and see just how far humans have come. You might just be pleasantly surprised."

With that, he left her to her thoughts.

Jean-Claude came in, bowed his head in a quick prayer, and began to eat. Soon, Karin, Anjou, Kenta, and Jean-Claude were all chattering. Henry began to join in before long, as did Fumio, but Calera and Ren sat there wondering what was happening. "Okay," said Ren, "What's with all the chatter?"

Jean-Claude said, "This is what families do when they sit down to eat—they talk!"

"What does that accomplish?" asked Calera, truly interested.

"You become closer," said Kenta, "and it shows that you care about the others to know what's going on in their lives."

"Yes, that's true," said Fumio, "Since I've been here, being like this has helped me to not be scared anymore, I've even forget quite often what you are. I guess it really doesn't matter now."

This was being said just as Elda was entering the room, and that hit hard, considering those words followed that lecture she had received. (She couldn't really call it a conversation, because it was more one-sided than anything else.) There were two humans at the table, chatting and laughing with vampires as if it was something normal. She wanted to cry, but she managed to stifle it as she joined everyone for dinner. Had she been a fool for that long? After dinner, they all went into the family room, and Jean-Claude pulled out his guitar. He was surprised to see Anjou preparing to plug in her axe, considering the night before. "Where did that come from?" said Jean-Claude, quite surprised.

"My bats retrieved it for me," she said.

"Wow!" said Jean-Claude, "Maybe I should think about getting a company for myself."

Then Jean-Claude said, "Make sure you keep it down, though, we're not playing a concert."

He looked at her, then at Elda, and said, "Here's a new one for you, Muff. Bob Dylan wrote this song during a time of change in consciousness, where many humans were thinking that the road of destruction they were laying was not what they wanted. It's amazing that it took two world wars and mass genocide for them finally to get it, but there is always hope. It's called _The Times They Are a Changin'_."

He then went into the song, and began to teach her the chords as he went. However, there was an ulterior motive. He wanted to punctuate to Elda the point of what he said earlier, saying that times do change, and if she were not able to adapt, history would leave her behind. Furthermore, if a human could figure it out, then why couldn't the vampires. He then went for something more upbeat, and started teaching Anjou _The Hammer Song_, and he said to her that those are the ideals he wanted to uphold. Before long, they realized that he did what he did, not entirely out of vengeance, but because, sometimes, he had to be the hammer of justice, and it had to strike hard. They now had a greater understanding of his mind, and Henry felt that he now had a right arm through which the rules could be enforced. If he could make the city and his family safer, then he was willing to tolerate his actions. He was the closest thing to a police force the vampires in the city had.

That evening, Boris was boiling over in rage. It had been 24 hours, and he had heard nothing from Ivan. When he could wait no longer, he went to the place where he had been told that the Marker child was being held. However, when he approached, the place was eerily silent. When he entered, everything seemed normal, except for the fact that there was much in the way of bloodstains on the floor. He began to smell around, and realized that the scent of humans had been there, and the scent of something of the vampire other than what had been there, but not quite a vampire. Ivan and his men were nowhere to be seen. They had not reported back, and he could only assume that, somehow, they had been stopped. It was like the two times before: no report back, no memory or evidence of whom was behind anything, and the loss of some good men. He knew Henry had not been behind this, and he remembered what he had been told about the half-breed. He had to take some time to look into things, and lay low for a bit. He had to know what he was fighting before he continued to fight, or else all his plans might be over before he started.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter XX

It was the next night, and it was the big game. Against her better judgment, Elda decided to show up. Since this was a high school affair, the crowd was no more than about five or six thousand present. This meant great seats for everyone. However, because of the dome, it sounded like 25,000 people. The surface was FieldTurf, so that made the players feel a bit better. Astroturf is fairly much a forbidden surface for Rugby, due to the hardness of the surface, and the burns to the skin. However, this stuff was like playing on real grass, so there were no problems. Jean-Claude had no light difficulties in this facility, so he was geared up for the game. Elda was not sure about the game, for it had not been invented when she and the survivors of Europe left for Japan. Kenta started to fill her in on the game, and at first, she thought it a bit barbaric. However, when she saw the two teams warming up, and saw the finesse of the set plays, she figured that it just might be a good competition. Yuriya then said, "That's why they call it elegant violence. Watch, and you'll see!"

She was resplendent in the team jersey, his bat ears from the concert, with the jersey over the pretty, black dress she normally wore. It was clear that she and Jean-Claude had fallen head over heels for each other, and the three eldest adults figure that this was a good thing, in that, at least they understood each other, and they could give each other comfort. Jean-Claude was still trying to gain her spiritually, but he also figured that, one, she was his only chance, and two, he had nearly eternity to work on her.

The Bats' opponent was a school from Okinawa, and they were a big and tough team. The Bats knew they were in for a fight, so they definitely were not going to take their opponent lightly. However, this is what the other team may have been doing, when, in the first five minutes, Jean-Claude came up with a big tackle that forced them back, and set up a bad scenario for the next phase. The other team came out with the ball, and the player with the ball was immediately hit. Jean-Claude, sensing the flow, dove in quickly to set up the ruck, and managed a forceful enough blow to drive back the opposition, and turn over the ball. However, his zeal caused him to foot back the ball hard, and roll it deep. The fly half was on top of it, but he was immediately in trouble. He could not kick it, but he managed to avoid the tackle. He charged forward a few steps, and popped a high bomb cross field. A Bat halfback quickly gathered it, and he charged downfield. After a scissor and skip move, the fullback had the ball at midfield. He was hit but offloaded to Jean-Claude, who rumbled forward ten meters, and managed to flip it to a charging scrum half as he was being gang tackled. His size drew off enough of the defense that it allowed the Bats to overload and roll in for the try. That set the pace for the rest of the game. For nearly the full 80 minutes, the game rolled back and forth. It was such an intriguing game that even Elda was cheering. Henry was getting in and looking just as proud as any dad would to see his son play. Anjou did not say much, but she smiled when Jean-Claude made a good play, and looked anxious when the other team seemed to be getting the upper hand. Because of a missed conversion, the Bats were down by two, and the 80-minute mark passed. However, the Bats now had the ball and were inching closer and closer. They had to keep possession; else, the other team would kick it out, end the play, and consequently, the game. They were just inside the 22-meter line, and the ruck had formed. There was enough in the ruck to secure the ball for the Bats that Jean-Claude stepped back to be an extra body in the line. The ball came out, but they were quickly choked out. The offload came back to Jean-Claude, and, seeing neither his fly half, a way through that could at least keep possession, or anyone to pass to, he had no choice but to try for the goal. He had been practicing the drop kick, and he had become pretty good at it. The Bats figured that it was good that someone in the scrum could do this, because that man could be a secret weapon in a situation like this, and now was the time. His fly half nodded to kick, and he put it down. It was a solid kick, end over end, with the distance…off the post! Jean-Claude saw this, and in the heat of the situation, used just a touch of his vampire speed to try to get to the ball and maybe fall on it for the score. Since it was coming back to the field of play, it would be a live ball. Sadly, as he tried to get in, he was hit, and he fell one foot short of the line. Because he could not release towards his team after the tackle, due to he trying to score, the other team quickly collected the ball, and kicked it into touch, ending the game. The team from Okinawa waked away with the win. As they made their way to midfield to celebrate, Jean-Claude just lay there, staring at the goal line, knowing how close to a championship they had come. He put his face in the turf, and though he did not bawl, he did shed some tears. He sat back up as the rest of the team converged around him, helped him to his feet, and did what they could to console him. After all, he had done all he could to make it happen, and he left it all out on the field. Sadly, it just was not enough. The Markers, Usuis, and Yuriya saw what had happened and fell silent. It just wasn't that the school had lost, but Jean-Claude had come so close to gaining the victory, only to fall short by one foot. Yuriya's heart dropped into her shorts. She deeply felt his pain, and consoling him was the only thing on her mind. Karin, on the other hand, had to beat a hasty retreat, because the unhappiness around her started to creep in, and she felt a slight rise. Kenta got her to a place where she would not have a rise, and then came back to tell the others that he was going to keep her at least ten feet from everyone to keep disaster from happening. Henry then said, "That won't be necessary. Can you get Karin to give me her cell phone?"

Kenta went to fetch it, and Henry started to make some reservations.

Jean-Claude had a long, hot shower, trying to wash away the disappointment in the thunderously quiet locker room. He wanted to shake off the unhappiness in his heart for the sake of Karin. The last thing they needed was to add a nosebleed to the night's bad outcome. The coach congratulated the team for a great season, and not to feel bad, they had won the city and conference championships, and thus, they had much to celebrate. He also said that it would set them up for a good run the next year. After he was done, he said to Jean-Claude, "Son, don't take this on your shoulders. That could have happened to anyone. The fact that you had the wherewithal to charge the kick with that fantastic sprint to try to score says much about the way you played tonight. There was no quit in you, and it showed. They just got the better of you at the wrong moment. You did well, son—no sad stories tonight."

He patted him on the back, and said, "Oh, there are some people outside waiting for you."

He thought that strange, so he got his bag and made his way out. He was surprised to see the whole family outside waiting for him as well as the Usuis and Yuriya. They were all smiling and applauding him, with Henry saying, "Son, you had a great year, and we are all so proud of you!"

He smiled, having this put him in a good mood, and he said, "Now is this not a sight? Normally we…I just didn't expect this for certain reasons."

"Son, you taught us to be a family," said Henry, "which is revolutionary for our kind. This normally does not happen. It rather feels good! Now, we have reservations, so let's go celebrate!"

They returned to the house, and Maki excused herself to spend some time with Wiener. Karin came back out with Kenta as they sat on the porch. Meanwhile, Henry had a private word with Jean-Claude. He asked, "So, I've seen you around Tachibiana-chan quite a bit."

"I like her," he said, "I only wish she would believe, as I, because, well, she's the only one I think would have me, or I could be with."

"Does it bother you that you two won't have any children?" Henry asked.

"A bit," he said, "But I've been thinking that Karin may help with that. Who knows? Anyway, why do you ask?"

"Calera accuses me often of not having a spine, or being able to handle family affairs," answered Henry, "But when it comes to you kids, I care much, and want to do whatever it takes to make you happy. Because of what you are—what we are—I can have it arranged that you to can be paired. It would be legal amongst us, and in the mortal world. What do you think?"

Jean-Claude rubbed his neck, and said, "I already owe you a lot, you don't have to go that far for me."

"You're my son now," said Henry, "Besides, it's my job to pair up my children, and you two are a match."

He thought for a moment, and then said to Henry, "Then, give me a chance to do it right. Let me get a ring and make it official."

"Well, don't expect an elaborate ceremony," he said, "because, in this world, it's just made official, and that's that. In fact, for your privacy, we can have a house built here on the grounds for you two. As long as you pay your share on the property, utilities, and such like, it would be no problem."

"Well, she wouldn't have to live in a rundown slum anymore, not with my money," he said, "Man, all I came to Japan for was to get rid of a cancer, and then settle down. I never expected this!"

"We never expected you, son," Henry laughed, "You're one in a million! Besides, we are glad you came."

He then got a wild hair up his nose, and he looked at his watch, and said, "There may be just enough time," and rushed out of the house. Henry said, "What nutty thing is he going to do now?"

Everyone was shocked as they saw a blur snap by them, stirring up the autumn air around them, and five minutes later, the blur came back, with Jean-Claude being the source of it. "Sorry if I scared you, I had to do something real quick," he said.

Kenta then said, "'Real quick?' That's the understatement of the year!"

Jean-Claude went into the house, and came back out with his guitar. Anjou saw this, and she came back out with her own. Jean-Claude took a seat on the swing, as Yuriya snuggled next to him, and Anjou sat in a char perpendicular to them. He started to play _Ventura Highway_, and Anjou, after listening for a few minutes, began to play some lead licks over it. "You've been practicing, Muff!" he said, and she answered, "Once you and sister go to bed, and I've already fed, there is not much else to do."

That hit home with him, and he said, "I'll tell you what, if you can endure this school year, I can shift my life to the evening. It's better for me anyway."

She just looked up, smiled her gentle smile, and she said, "Try this one."

She then began to play _Tin Man_, and he said, "I also see that you've been expanding your repertoire," as he joined her. Karin said, "One day, your kids are going to love you," to which Anjou said, "And I thank you for your help with that in advance."

Karin just had to hug her, and felt so much closer to her sister, knowing that she could now repay her for all those years of Anjou covering for her. Kenta looked back, smiling at the sight, thinking, "Wow! These guys are more of a family than most mortal people are. It's so nice to see."

Fumio came out with some coffee, saying, "It's chilly, kids, here's something to warm you!"

She served, and set out the sugar and cream, as she sat with them. Calera and Henry then joined them. They had no idea that Elda was on the roof above the porch, listening to the whole thing. There were mortals associating with vampires as if it were a normal thing, they were showing love to each other, there were even two half-breeds in the mix. She had believed, as the other vampires there in Japan, (who either fled persecution, or had been raised by those that had,) that there was no chance for mingling. Had they been out of touch so long that they had not seen the world change? It was made more impacting when Anjou and Jean-Claude began to play _Catch the Wind_. She fed off love and romance, and the air was electric with it—Karin and Kenta, Yuriya and Jean-Claude, Calera and Henry. It made her hungry, and she knew that she had to do something about it. However, she began to think of Alfred, of James, and now Victor. What had she missed? What made matters more interesting was what happened next. Jean-Claude said, "And this is something that I never thought would happen, but that I am going to do now, because it just cannot wait. I may never get this chance again."

With that, he got down on one knee, produced a health stone from his pocket, and said, "Yuriya Tachibana, will you marry me?"

Her face filled with tears and joy, as her heart began to race at a million miles per hour, screaming, "Yes, yes, OH YES!"

She was on her feet, kissing him, and hugging him as they applauded, and she asked Henry, "Has this all been okayed?"

"Essentially, you two already are married," he said, "We're just waiting for the paperwork! Congratulations, you two."

That was it for Elda. She leapt up and headed into town. They all saw her leave, and they wondered just how much she had heard.

Elda got into town and started to hunt. However, this world seemed different to her. _Catch the Wind_ was rattling around in her head as she hunted, and she did not know what to think, now that she was really taking a good look at the world around for the first time in a long time. She could tell who had money, yet, there was no noble lord and vassal situation, everyone from every class were socializing like peers, everyone was cordial, and even a few vampires were moving amongst them, acting like mortals, socializing with them as if this were a normal thing. Now _the Times They Are a Changin_' was rattling through her skull, especially the line that says she has to get out of the new path of travel if she could not lend a hand. Could it be that the only reason why vampires and humans could not get along was more now because of the vampires and not the humans? They only remembered the persecution in Europe some 200 years ago, and became paranoid about the race, thinking that all humans were like that, and that they would never change. Because they had spent so much time ignoring human advance, seeing them more as cattle than anything else, they had not realized that the world was passing them by for not participating in its existence. She was able to find a couple and feed, but at the same time, for the first time, she did not feel like she was exacting some kind of revenge. It was at this point that she finally realized that her status as a vampire did not make her superior and that 90% of the problems people have they bring on themselves. Even when it is not one's fault, (like what caused them all to flee in the first place,) what happens after is the choice of the wronged. She also began to realize that, to bear a grudge against a present group of people for the sins of the past is wrong. It is only the wrong of the here and now that must be dealt with, and one should never visit the sins of the people on their children, especially if their children want to erase the past. Yes, these humans did not light the fire, and maybe, just maybe, they were trying to fight it. She needed some time to think.

Back at the house, Karin was walking Kenta home, the Markers went out to hunt, and together, for the first time in a long time. Anjou went out herself, and Jean-Claude kissed Yuriya, and said, "See you tomorrow, immortal beloved."

He went inside, and she stood on the porch. He thought it was over for the night, but it was not! He closed the door behind him, and prepared for bed. He had just gotten his sleep pants on when he sensed a presence behind him. He slowly turned about, and saw Yuriya standing there, fingers interlocked and her arms extending fully, hanging in front. She had a look on her face that exuded love, but it was in such a fashion where she seemed extremely vunerable, and she slowly approached. She then took the sides of her dress, and said, "I am here for you, m'lord."

Jean-Claude did not understand. He had a guess to the intentions of the moment, but he was a traditionalist. He expected a ceremony or something, and he looked confused. Yuriya detected this confusion, had a guess to his thoughts. She walked up, put a finger on his lips, getting real close, and she whispered, "My darling, there is no need for ceremony in our world. The council acknowledged it, and the paperwork is merely a formality. We are married. I love you."

She then stepped back, and began to unbutton the front of her dress. She then stopped, and said, "I wear this helper brazier, because I am…"

He stopped her this time, and said, "I know what you are going to say, and that doesn't matter to me. I didn't want you in my life because of that."

She then continued to unbutton, and dropped the dress, standing there in her undergarments. She then embraced his massive form, and tenderly kissed him. He was hesitant at first, thinking he was committing some kind of sin. However, he had to remember that this was a different world, and that they were indeed married. He tried one last feeble protest, and said, "I'm a virgin. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"That's fine, my love," she said, "So am I."

Before one knew it, they were joined as one, consummating their commitment, and knowing that it would be for all eternity. At the key point of the consummation, their hearts were racing in such a fashion that they both began to vamp out a bit. In fact, before they knew it, they were in each other's necks, not realizing at that moment that they were performing the blood bond. This was a common thing amongst vampire spouses. This would just about insure that they would never separate again. After words, they slept contently in each other's arms.

Meanwhile, standing in the shabbier parts of the town, there was someone who, beyond her own circumstances, became what she was nearly a millennium ago. She was a vampire, but she was one with who the rest of the vampires would not have anything to do. She came to be by a forbidden power, and now she was searching for the _pistis sophia_, hoping that, just maybe, it would be the key to becoming normal again—maybe. With that, Chiyuki Tanaka went in search of her hope.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter XXI

The next morning, a knock came at the door, and he snapped awake. He saw the clock, and realized that he had overslept by about a half-hour. It was a school day, and he had to be up. "Jean-Claude, you don't want to miss breakfast! Time to get up!" said Karin, wondering why he was not ready to go. He saw Yuriya look at him, smiling, and she gave him a kiss. She did not want him to go, but he knew he would have no excuse, and lying was not a part of his character. "Think of that as a down payment," he said, returning the smile, and he got up to prepare for the day. She said, "I'll be looking for the balance tonight," as she was curled up in the sheets, lying on her side, with an arm and leg sticking out. "Just make sure you slip out before Fumio wakes up. I don't know if anyone was expecting this so soon."

She winked as she watched him get on a robe and head for the bathroom to prepare. She then lay there in afterglow, on top of the world. She never expected her life to be this good.

Meanwhile, Jean-Claude was fired up. It was soon time for the monthly feed, but he felt like he could run a marathon. The girl had breathed the breath of life into him, and he was ready to attack the day. He did not so much go through the morning rituals as much as he was dancing his way through it. He came back and began to dress, just as Yuriya was bringing herself around. She then said, "I may wait a week or two, but I'll be putting in my two weeks with Julian soon. With your money, I won't need to work anymore."

"Are you happy with being the happy homemaker?" he asked.

"For you, I'd do anything?" she said, with a dreamy look in her eyes.

"Oh really!" he said, "We're going to have to find out about that tonight!" and his eyebrows pumped up and down. She gave him a playful shove as she got into her own dress. She then asked, "Will I be living here?"

"Henry's going to be having a house built for us up here," he said, "All I have to do is offset the expenses that this would incur, and we're all set!"

He grabbed his books as she kissed him, and said, "Take care, baby," and gave him a kiss good-bye.

He danced into the kitchen, singing a "good morning" to Karin and Kenta. She could not believe how much energy he had, and said, "Wow! What got into you?"

He wanted to say, but he just said, "Let's just say that a certain someone can get my blood going!"

Karin knew that could only refer to Yuriya, and she said, "Is it because she accepted your hand in marriage?"

He rolled his eyes, knowing the full story, and he said, "Well, that has a lot to do with it!"

"Good!" she said, "So I guess you're ready for breakfast?"

"And how!" he said, and dove into his meal.

"Gee," she said, "You would think you won last night, the way you're acting."

"In a sense, I did," he said, continuing to eat.

"What happens now?" she then asked.

"Your dad said that he would be putting a house up here for her and I," he said, "All I need to do is to take care of the expenses it would make, and that would be that."

"Anjou would love to hear that," said Karin, "She already feels safe with you here, and this would make her feel out of this world."

"Yeah, about that," he said, getting a bit concerned, "She has really shown an attachment to me. I mean, that's fine, and all, but, she gets _really_ close. If I weren't mistaken, it almost seems as if she wanted to be more than my sister. If that were the case, I would believe she would be jealous of my situation. She even slipped into my bed the other day because Maki was here. I don't understand."

As they went out, Karin was stewing on this, and then he said, "You do know how early vampires betroth, right?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, not liking where this was going.

"When a vampire awakens," she said, "a vampire is considered an adult, and can even be considered for marriage at that point."

Jean-Claude was shocked at this, and he said, "Let me tell you: this really is a different world for the vampire!"

"That would be considered perverted to humans, depending on how old the people are," said Kenta.

"Not for this world," said Karin.

"Even if we had been put together, which I would consider a might disturbing," said Jean-Claude, "I don't know how this could be allowed, considering that I am sterile."

"I think Anjou knows this as well," she said, "and had it been different, you two would be man and wife right now."

Jean-Claude shivered at the thought. "We would call that 'robbing the cradle' where I come from."

"I think that having you like it is is enough for her," she said.

"Do you think your father will betroth her soon?" he asked.

"Not likely," said Karin, "because there are not many prospects right now."

"I hope your father has enough sense to wait," said Jean-Claude.

The school day went as well as could be expected, except that Jean-Claude saw the announcement for open ice hockey tryouts. When he saw that, the others saw that glint in his eye, and it almost looked evil. They did not know what that was about, but they would soon learn. Jean-Claude excused himself from the others however, because he said it was time for his "monthly obligation." Everyone understood what that meant, and each one almost felt sorry for the individual on the wrong side of the law that runs into him. However, some almost wanted to see some nut enter Julian's and try to rip it off at that time of the month, just to watch Jean-Claude rip him a new one. Later on, he was on the rooftop, having Bruce on his shoulder, with Brownie and Ricardo not far behind. As he made his way along, he saw in interesting sight. It seemed that a vampire he had never seen had made a feed, and she was conversing with another vampire. He figured that it warranted more investigation. He descended to the lowest fire escape in the alley below to see what was going on. When he got there, it seemed to be normal vampire behavior. Yet, because they were both so young, he figured that, at that time of night, trouble might find them, he could make it an early night and be able to go back and see what kind of things his new spouse was "cooking up." However, one of them, who had shoulder length reddish brown hair, and who was quite attractive, turned her nose to the air. He knew that she must have been noticing his scent, and because he did not know their intentions, he thought it would be good to retreat to the roofs and follow from there. Yet, just before he could even flinch, she was right beside him saying, "May I ask who you are."

"Nimble little minx, isn't she," he thought, "Her blood abilities must be honed to perfection." He was grateful for the dark and for the scarf about his face. Not knowing her intentions, it could be trouble later on if she figured out who he was. He slowly looked over at her and said, attempting to keep an air of mystery, "Very good: not many are able to sneak up on me like that. However, I don't sense my taste in you, so I think it's safe to assume that I can say something about myself. I'm looking for punks, renegade vampire abominations, muggers, and dope dealers, anything evil into which I can my fangs...renegades mostly. Odd to see someone like you and your friend there in this part of town, though, so I figured you might just, how does one say, 'rustle up some grub' for me. You were in no danger...from me, anyway. Who am I? A hero to some and a nightmare to others."

"Thank you for the quaint explanation, but I did ask your name," she asserted.

"I must be doing something wrong tonight, or else neither of you would have snuck up on me like that," he said, frustrated his cover was blown.

"Okay, for now, just call me D'amphile," he said, "and I don't think I'm going to find anything here."

He was about to leave, but he saw the look in her eye, and said, "Wait," and with that, a large brown bat landed on her shoulder. He then said, "If you need me, link through him, and call me, I will hear."

He summoned Bruce back, who took a perch once again on his shoulder, and he said, "With that, I'm hungry, and there has to be some kind of action in this city tonight," and he prepared to leave.

Chiyuki smiled, and said, "Do as you like; I have no intentions of harming you."

Neko appeared on Chiyuki's shoulder and hissed at the bat on her other shoulder.

"Please forgive Neko; she is quite temperamental and very possessive." Chiyuki said apologetically.

"You know how cats and mice are, even if it is a flying mouse," he said, with a smirk on his face, (though it was hidden beneath the scarf.) "I can just have Brownie here tail you."

He thought for a moment, and then said, "You're probably curious to my interest in insuring your safety," yet then he pondered for a moment, and then said, "However, if you knew from whom this comes, you may refuse it—hence the secrets."

"My safety, I can assure you that I am quite capable of taking care of myself, and I don't need help from anyone." she said, "How can you protect me when you can't catch me?"

He chuckled, and said, "Catch you?"

In the blink of an eye, he was on the ground, and said, "I wouldn't worry..." and in the next instant, he was on the roof, "I can keep up..." in a flash, he was standing next on the ground, "...with any vampire.." and then he was on the fire escape above her, "...because if I could not..." and he was right behind her, and tapped her on the head, "...I wouldn't be out her doing this."

He was then sitting on the fire escape stairs in front of her, saying, "My mentors taught me well. I just don't like making a whole lot of show, because it spends precious blood. Even if you don't need protection, if you see trouble, a mugging, attempted rape, a robbery, something like that, that is what I am more interested in anyway. However, a renegade would be icing on the cake. I just want to get it done early, because I have...things to do tomorrow morning, and I don't want to be dragging."

"You're much slower then you brag; and if you want blood, I can attract the villains to me like it was nothing, especially the rapist." She said with a flip of her hair.

He smiled under the scarf, and said, "You have my attention! I hope he's crawling with evil; I like it spicy sometimes. After tonight, I guarantee, he'll never rape again!"

Chiyuki nodded and then was gone, suddenly a high-pitched scream was heard, and Chiyuki returned with a man dressed as a hobo tucked under her arm, she threw it at him, "Enjoy," she said.

"Thank you! Be sure to wipe her mind," he said, and then turned his attention to the man, and said, as his eyes glowed yellow, "As for you, you'd better be glad I didn't catch you, because it would be much worse for you than it's going to be!"

With that, he pulled down his scarf with his fangs extended, and growled as he sank in his fangs. The man then screamed like a woman at the horrible sight of his enraged face. After about three minutes or so, he pulled out with a roar of delight. He took the unconscious mass and heaved it against the wall. After this was done, he went over and extended his hand over the man. The body began to glow yellow, and he was insuring that, if he broke anything, it was healed. He then said, "All you will remember of tonight is pain, whenever you even think about what you attempted, and pain and horror shall rack your entire body from head to toe any time you even think to force yourself on another woman like that ever again!"

When he stopped, he looked at her and said, "Thank you. I have school tomorrow, and I wasn't looking for this to be an all-night operation. I must say, though, you made it easy for me. Normally I have to rough them up a bit, or I go after a group. Maybe I can get a good night sleep."

He thought for a minute, and said, "My name's Jean-Claude. And you?"

"Chiyuki Tanaka." she said, introducing herself.

"Greetings, Tanaka-san," he said, "I assume then you are familiar with the Marker family?" as he slipped his scarf back onto his face.

"I know of them, but that is it," she said smiling, "Their Daughter interest me, she has a power I am interested in."

She then said, "And you don't have to call me Tanaka-san, you can just call me Chiyuki or any other nickname you come up with."

"I'm the foreigner here," he said, "and I must remember my manners. Anyway, do they know you are in the city? If not, worry not. I live in that house, and I can talk to the chief for you. You would have no problems then. We have a good rapport."

He stopped, and thought, "Wait a minute: which daughter do you refer to? Believe me, they both interest me, and for different reasons. One could be the key to me and my beau."

She spoke quietly, "Karin Makka is the one who interests me. She is the fountain of fertility for which all vampires search."

"As long as that is it," he said, "I heard about the civil war that almost erupted over her. Yet, now, there is a group of Renegades out there that have something more sinister in mind. They believe that her blood, mixed with certain herbs and chemicals can turn them into gods, and they desire global conquest in this way. Of course, none of this is true, but, even though it is not, that would not stop them from trying to obtain her. I am pledged to her safety, and the safety of her family. As I hunt for them, I also seek the safety of all here."

"I simply want her to bite me so I can help continue the vampires," she said.

"Has he been holding her back?" he asked, "I can understand with the limited circumstances that I have described how he might be a bit reluctant, but, would there be another reason he has not expressed?"

He then thought for a moment, and said, "Or has it been Calera or Elda?"

"What?" she said furrowing her brow in a cute, feminine way.

"What I mean is, has he not been so generous, or has the council been sending you along to meet him?" he asked, "I haven't heard anything about the process of getting this blood out. I know he bottles any excess and sends it to the council. I'm surprised they did not tell you. I just need to know, because, if everything is good, I can introduce you to her. There are no troubles, at least, that I know of. She's in my class, after all."

Chiyuki chuckled, "No, the Council is not too found of me," Neko nodding in agreement.

"If my mentors in the states had not briefed the council before I arrived, they would not be too fond of me either," he said, "I am just thankful that things turned out the way they did. Because of all that happened, I now have more of a family that had ever been taken from me. I love them all, especially Corn Muffin. She's like my shadow."

"Do you...have a mate?" Chiyuki asked, innocently.

"Well..." he trailed off, knowing that, if he told her everything, she may flee before he could help her. He then said, "There is one, but, she, like me, has a similar problem—we cannot have offspring, as far as we know. That's what I was saying about Karin in relation to me."

He hoped desperately that he did not have to reveal everything. There was no telling how she would react. He only hoped that his nervousness was not showing on the little of his face that was revealed, or that her vampire senses would not detect it. She went up and poked him on the nose, and said smiling, "I do not fear nor hate you because of who you are."

He then began to wonder just how much she _did_ know. He decided that he would take a chance. If it were well, then fine, but if not, she would leave, and that would just be another that avoided him. "I am a d'amphile--half human, half vampire. That means I am quite sterile. The only hope that me and...well...this one in particular have is Karin. They have not tested it on us yet, and I don't know how long it would be before testing that fertility would be in the picture. Besides, outside of you, (if I catch the hint,) there would be none that would take me anyway, and she would be the only one."

Chiyuki giggled and said, "I don't care about the outside world, I abandoned it just as my creator abandoned me."

"Your _creator_?" he asked, confused, "Now I am lost!"

"There are more to vampires then just birthed," she explained, "There is a way to _create_ vampires, and my creator left me for dead as soon as I was made."

"I had been told that this was a myth," he said, "I mean, all I know is that vampires just want to live in peace. No wonder there is such fear in the human world about vampires draining people dry, doing bad things, and so forth. Is this something that can happen, but is forbidden because of the paranoia and fear in the human world? I could understand if it were, considering the mere fight for survival. This would make meshing the two world together more difficult."

She chuckled and said smiling, "You don't have to worry about him: I killed him."

Now he knew that she had to have been around a bit, because something like this would have made waves wherever it happened. He filed that away, and said, "Well, if it is forbidden," he said, "then that means a couple of things: one, those kind of vampires need to be added to the list of renegades, and two, this makes stopping what I spoke about earlier that much more important. If they ever figure it out, then what they intend would make matters far worse."

He thought for a moment, and said, "If only James had not died, he would have taken you in. He wasn't like others, he loved everyone, and I do mean _everyone_! He could have told us more of this kind of thing. As for me, I don't hate the outside world, but I do feel sorry for it. I know what some renegade vigilantes did to my family, but I learned early on how to love the person, not the group. If I did get bitter, then they who did what they did to my mom, dad, and grandfather, win. One thing is for sure: I would make sure that nothing like that ever happened again if I am able. No one needs to go through that!"

Chiyuki smiled, and said, "Vampires like me are genetic dead ends as well. So it is important I find Karin Makka-san."

'Are you saying that you are undead?" he said, his heart breaking for the poor girl, "If that is the case, you need to meet Henry, and I do mean Henry. However, I would have to arrange that. I think Karin is working a Julian's tomorrow night. I normally hang out there, do homework, and kibitz with friends, and they join us after. My..." (he trailed off, thought for a moment,) "...my significant other works there as well. You could meet them all. There is an inner circle of humans, though, that knows the truth, so don't worry about exposure if it is just the inner group and us. Perhaps you could meet Henry through her. It would be a good start. You look young enough to the point where you would slip in without problem. Trust me, the world is not like what it was in ancient of days, and with me and my friends, you have nothing to fear."

Chiyuki stared at him a little untrusting, and said, frowning, "Humans? How could humans know?"

"If I were to tell you," he said, now more serious, "could you keep it a secret? There are reasons they know, and they are good ones. As I said, it's not the same world as it was. Hey, I am surprised that we don't all just move to New York City. No one really cares who or what you are there. Everyone knows how to mind his or her own business. I mean, you could walk down the street, fully vamped out, looking like Bela Lugosi, and no one would say a crying word."

"Humph, the Americas!" she said with malice.

"Hey," he said, a bit offended, "I am American--Franco-American to be exact, of French Canadian heritage! Besides, this is New York City I'm talking about here—it's like its own nation anyway. It is also the place where I have seen vampires have the most peace, because of the freedoms there. Remember, it was vampires, not humans, which killed my folks. I digress. Anyway, can you keep it a secret about what I will tell you of why humans know?"

"Yes, I will," she said, and added angrily, "And I hate the Americas because that is where I was created."

Paying the last comment no mind, he said, "Okay, here it goes: first, there is Kenta. He is Karin's boyfriend, blood doll, and because of that, g'hul. I have been teaching him about using certain abilities because of the vampire blood running in him. He loves her dearly, and volunteers his neck if she needs a release, and there is nowhere else that she can. If she does not, she has some massive nosebleeds! That could be fatal for her if it were enough! He stumbled across it one day, and, instead of freaking out, took the time to care for her, clean up her and the mess, and told no one. He became so trustworthy that he was assigned by Henry to watch her in the day when they could not, (she's a day walker like me.) Maki is Karin's best friend, and she was Corn Muffin's first feed. However, Karin was there, and because of the difficulty, wiping her mind was forgotten. However, everything is smoothed over, and all three are even closer now. Then there is Wiener Sinclair, a hunter that has seen the error of his ways, and now is allied with Henry, and myself, in our fight against the threat that currently exists. Then there is Yukiko, and she was someone that the group of us, along with Wiener's granddad, and Ren, we rescued from renegades. From what you have told me, we may have even saved her from being vamped herself. She is now in the fold. Other than that, that is it. They're all cool about things. Moreover, to me, it represents how things could be. Education and the right among of care do wonders for stopping persecution. Fear is merely ignorance in a state of panic. Kill ignorance; kill fear, and the hate that goes with it."

"Wow that's a lot; though I think Kenta should get a reward of some kind," she said, scratching the back of her head.

"If I had my way," he said, looking off into the distance, "I would have a world where all humans were 'cool with it,' and what happened to us would never happen again."

He thought for a moment, and then said, "Come tomorrow: I think you would be quite welcome. Look out for Maki, though, she is all girl, and wants to make friends with the whole world!"

As a token of trust, he took off his hat and scarf so she could look at him better, then took his saber, and gave her a proper salute with it, saying, "If ever needed, my sword is yours," and he resheathed it.

"If I had my way, I would be able to have kids, and I would be normal," she said frowning.

"That, I cannot fix," he said, "So, be there tomorrow night at about 7 P.M., and I'll introduce you. I'll make sure Karin knows well in advance. You will find friends. Who knows? Maybe she could slip something to you that night, if it is that time of the month for her. I'm just saying..."

Chiyuki nodded and smiled at him before she started to leave, saying, "See you tomorrow."

"I will see you then," he said, and went his way, after summoning back Brownie.

Chiyuki went to go home, the sun was coming up soon, and she really wanted just to think.

Jean-Claude went back home, where Yuriya was waiting. She had been gone, and had come back, knowing that she would be looking for her husband. He was pleased to see that the house had already been begun. However, he noticed that her few belongings were in the house now, and he asked, "What's all this?"

"Henry asked me earlier, 'You haven't moved in yet? Shouldn't you be with your husband?' and that settled it. Thus, no more secrets," she said smiling.

That made him feel more comfortable, knowing that he did not have to sneak, and it almost felt normal to see her there. He then said, "It seems so weird. I mean, it hasn't really sunk in yet."

She sauntered up, and said, "You are so used to the human rites of passage, aren't you? Don't worry: you may feel you are violating some taboo, but, trust me, you have not done anything wrong."

She then said, "Don' worry, I'll help you get over it!"

With that, she got in close, opened his shirt, took a whiff, and said, "Hmm, you're all sweaty!"

She then got a glint in her eye as she looked up at him, saying, "And that's just the way I like it!"

She let out a playful growl as she wheeled him around and fell on the bed, with her on top. With what he would soon be dealing with, coupled with this, it was going to be a real interesting time for a while.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter XXII

He awoke the next morning, and sat down to breakfast with Karin and Kenta, (who, with Fumio, were being temporarily lodged in the Marker residence due to the present crisis,) and he was looking for the right words to say to Karin. How do you go about telling someone that something you once thought was a myth turns out to be true in rare cases? How do you tell them that the vampire you wish them to meet is an _actual_ undead? It seemed to Jean-Claude that Chiyuki was not looking for that blood for fertility as much as she was hoping it would remove, at least, the undead status from her, even if she were to remain a vampire. Could her blood be the key? He decided to wait until lunch and get the two of them isolated before laying this on them. He had to figure out just what to say, and then how to lay it on them. He knew that, if he botched it, and they got scared, or paranoid, Chiyuki would never trust him again. This was a delicate situation, and deserved to be handled with kid gloves. As they left the house for school, (Jean-Claude unmistakable for his tan skin, size, and owl-eye sunglasses,) he was lost in thought. Karin finally asked, "Why are you so quiet? Normally, you want to gnaw our ears off!"

"Sorry, sis," he said, "There's some heavy things I am chewing on."

While this was going on, Chiyuki was watching from a building far away, her uncanny hearing gave her the ability to know exactly what was being said without her being sensed in return. One of the few good things about being undead, was that her senses where 10 times stronger then normal vampires and age just helped to improve that. Her speed had done nothing but gotten faster as well. If she really wanted to, she could be on the other side of the word within thirty minutes or so. She was very tempted just to jump down there and harass Karin for the blood, knock out Kenta and Jean-Claude and get Karin to bite her, but she could sense the delicately that the Dhampir was using so she waited impatiently.

As they sat at lunch, Jean-Claude was again applying the sunscreen as he was wont to do, and he said, "Karin, what if I were to tell you that I discovered that there may be some truth to vampires making other vampires?"

She looked at him, mouth agape, and a look of shock on her face, saying, "Hold on, I thought that was a myth? We aren't undead!"

"_We_ may not be, but I met one last night," he added, "she was quite powerful too! No telling how long she has been crawling around."

"But...but, how come this is the first I've heard this?" asked Karin, not liking where this was going.

"Apparently," answered Jean-Claude, "this is something that has been very frowned upon and forbidden amongst the vampires, depending on where one is and how they set the rules. I can see how it could be that they would ban it. You have to think that this might be part of the reasons why humans can't deal with us—present company excepted, Kenta."

He acknowledged that it was not a slight, and Jean-Claude continued, "These were the things that could cause wholesale panic and mass hunts in more primative and naive societies. If there is to be peace, those kinds of things have to be forbidden."

Karin looked at Kenta, and said, "Could I cause that to Kenta?"

"I don't think so," said Jean-Claude, "Because, if anything of the legends is true, the human must be nearly drained of blood, and then drink the blood of the vampire. That causes the undead condition, and the need for blood. You don't drink, you give, and that formula could never happen with you. You can make g'huls, and quite powerful ones, considering the amount in an infusion. I am not sure if we dhampirs, or d'amphiles, if you prefer the French, can do this, but a pure blood vampire that has enough capacity to drink nearly 13 pints of blood could do it."

"Why are you telling me all this?" she asked.

"There is a possibility that your blood might be able to cure the undead condition," he said, "and it was last night's encounter that got me thinking about it."

"So, who did you meet," asked Kenta.

"I met an undead vampire who was looking for your help in becoming fertile like any other vampire. I mean, think about it, in her condition, she is as sterile as I am, because her body is essentially dead. The blood keeps it from rotting away. However, if your blood can bring a reproductive area to life, what could it do for the rest of the body? What I am thinking is this: if you help her, you may even help to restore her to mortality, or, at least, make her like any other vampire, though still quite powerful."

"Then, where do I come into play?" she asked, now nervous.

"She's coming by Julian's tonight," he said, "and she's going to meet the 'crew' so to speak. In addition to that, I am going to ask Wiener if he knows anything about this, or if his grandfather has mentioned anything. She is all alone, and I am sure that having friends would be a good thing for her, as it has been for us."

"Do you think daddy should know?" she then asked.

"That's why I wanted you to meet her first," he said, "That way, if she is trustworthy, you can soften the blow to your father, and he would be more than likely to help."

He sat quiet for a moment or two, and then said, "You know, I look at our posse, and I wonder if we represent the future?"

"Lost me again," said Kenta.

"I mean, we're all a living example of how it could work, where others think it could not," he said, "I mean, if our motley crew can get along, is there hope?"

He then picked up his 12-string, and began to sing Dylan's _The Times They Are a Changin',_ wondering if those words carried new meaning for the situation they were all in. However, the conversation was not unobserved, nor was it unheard by outside ears. Chiyuki was listening intently, hoping for something of which she could act. Chiyuki listened to his words carefully, from what she heard, and from what she gathered the night before, Henry wasn't the one she should fear, it was the oldest—Elda Makka. She listened as things continued. "By the way," asked Jean-Claude, "Is grandmamma asleep right now?"

"After your little lecture, she said she wanted to think about it for a while," she said, "That could be for a day, it could be for decades. It all depends."

He thought for a few moments, and he understood she had been shook a bit by the changes in the world, even more so since she came home on the night Jean-Claude proposed to Yuriya. Considering the situation, he said, "Let's hope she chews on it long and hard, because, after what Yuriya told me about her first encounter with her, and how she almost got me so mad that night I told that story, (after I had killed those renegades who were trying to get you and kill everyone else,) and I almost ripped her in two, I don't know how she would react. Things have been moving faster than she wants right now. She has seen that, like most vampires, the world has passed her by because of wanting to ignore the mortal world. Much has changed, but they have not. They still nurse old grudges, and that is not good. You do that and you destroy yourself. With her age and wisdom, her knowledge of the past, she could do much to fix things that are bad. What a waste!"

Karin loved her, but she had to concede the point. However, Chiyuki flinched in fear at Jean-Claude's description of Elda Makka. Vampires like her had been a taboo forever, so Elda would definitely hate and try to kill her. Jean-Claude then said, "Well, keep me abreast of what she is up to, because if we can keep her asleep, or have Victor keep her occupied, then we may be able to fix the problem far before she gets wise to things. Despite the fact that she has softened to a few mortals, she is quite reactionary, from what you and Henry have told me. I mean, she is the kind to say, 'Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead,' and dive in where angels fear to tread! Of course that gets her in to more trouble than for which she cares, but, give me time: I think we can reeducate her, you know, modernize her to cope with the world as it is..., or as it could be."

"Still got that dream, don't you?" asked Karin.

"Gets me up in the morning!" he said, and they prepared to return to class. However, Chiyuki had other ideas.

Faster than a blink, Chiyuki was at the school, and looking over the scene. Never one for patience, she was looking to introduce herself in her own way. She jumped down and landed in front of Jean-Claude gracefully and fast, nearly scaring the snot out of Karin and Kenta. As the other two gathered themselves, all Jean-Claude could do at that moment was think, "How, in the name of common sense, is she not being fried to a crisp. Even I need to wear these glasses and sun block!"

After a few stunned moments of looking like a codfish, all he could choke out was, "Getting impatient?"

"Very much so: patience has never been a strong quality for me," she said. She then turned to Kenta, and said, "He hates somebody."

Kenta stood there, still unable to speak, considering how things were going, and this strange, well, he had to guess, woman, popped up out of nowhere, and now accused him of something of which Jean-Claude was completely ignorant. Jean-Claude was at a loss himself for that statement, considering that he knew of nothing that would justify that statement. Jean-Claude then said, "One, how come you are not a pile of ash right now, and two, what in the name of common sense are you talking about!"

"It is because I am more like Karin then a regular vampire, and my blood preference is hatred and Glare-san, (referring to Kenta's reaction,) has a lot of hatred," she said.

Karin felt she needed to say something, but she was at a loss herself, and said, "Um...hey, everyone's got something or another they don't like. I mean, I don't like math..." still not sure she was saying the right thing. She was still trying to cope with the world as it was, and where it was going, and now she had this wrinkle. She was feebly trying to smooth things over, but she didn't know if she was succeeding. Jean-Claude, to try to keep her from latching onto someone in broad daylight, (and before the rest of the school,) tried to stall her, and probed, "And just who or what does he hate?"

Chiyuki closed her eyes, concentrated on Kenta's mind, and said, "A family member."

That shocked Kenta into a bit of sensibility, and he wondered why it was that he still bore a grudge. He thought he had smoothed things over between himself and his father. He was trying to get on with it, but he wondered why this still lingered in him. "Wanna share with us something, Kenta?" said Jean-Claude.

However, with what Karin was now detecting between Kenta and Chiyuki, she began to feel a stirring in her. She was now standing behind her, waving to the both of them frantically to cut off the conversation. Both Kenta and Jean-Claude thought, "Oh no!"

Jean-Claude pulled him close, and said, "Help her, I'll stall her."

Then, he remembered at that instant how good her hearing was, and then he began to wonder if he was now botching the whole thing! Chiyuki then said, (and oddly, with a smile on her face,) "His grandma is the one he hates," and then continued with a smirk, "and I have no intentions of taking from him."

Now Kenta was stirred. Yes, that was an unresolved factor in his life. He remembered how cruel she had been to him and his mother. Anger did rise a bit, but also unhappiness; and now Karin was wide-eyed, franticly trying to hint to Kenta that she needed help. Kenta caught the hint, saying, "Why did you make me remember that? Oh, Karin, do we have time?"

She grabbed his wrist, saying, "I'll cover for you, say you had sunstroke or something, and get you to the infirmary: just help!"

Jean-Claude looked at Chiyuki, and said, "What are you doing? There are better ways than this!" thinking that he knew what her strategy was.

"What do you mean?" she asked innocently, truly not sure what Jean-Claude was saying.

He leaned in close and whispered, "Unhappiness is _her_ blood preference, and you just stirred it up in Kenta, and stirred up her blood! If you wanted her blood, we could have..." but as he was saying that, Kenta and Karin had not gotten far, and it happened. They were trying to find somewhere discreet, but they did not make it. Everyone in the blast radius was covered in blood. "Too late," said Jean-Claude, this being the first time he had seen it. Maki jumped up and said, "Again? You were doing so well!"

She went over, and started to help Kenta get her to the nurse's office. Jean-Claude turned an aggravated look to her, and said, "Smooth move, Exlax!"

Yet, back at the house, someone else was interested in the scene. One of her bats had awoken her, and she was now watching the scene. Normally, she would have instantly blamed Kenta, but she saw the stranger, and Anjou said, "If you hurt my sister, you shall pay dearly."

However, she contented herself with holding her peace, hoping rather that her two big brothers could handle it before it came to a head. She would lose some sleep, but she was going to keep an eye on things. However, Chiyuki, knowing the scent of bats, looked up on a raised level of the rooftop lunch area where they had dined, and saw three wooden structures, about two inches wide, and rather long, with guano troughs underneath. Her nose told her that they were filled with semi-hibernating bats, and one of them was sticking its head out, watching the scene. With her own abilities, she was able to sense a pair of vampire eyes watching her. Concentrating, she was able to detect the youngest Marker watching the scene. Chiyuki stared at Anjou, and then smirked as she said, "What a lucky child," before dashing away from the mad scene she had just made. Jean-Claude was a bit aggravated at first, but then remembered that she may not have had much dealing with the outside world, and she was not used to human social graces. At this, Jean-Claude wondered if she would still show up, considering. He hoped that he could smooth things over before she arrived. He went off to clean himself up, and to check on Karin. However, Anjou wondered if she herself should show up at Julian's. The sun would be down by then, and she could catch up with her sister to see if she were okay. She would try to hide in one of the booths, and then see what she could do if things got hot.

Later that night, the gang was together, Kenta and Karin were just getting off their respective shifts, and preparing to join them. Yuriya usually served those tables, to fellowship with them as she worked, hoping to sit by her new husband when she was done. Jean-Claude was finishing up, but also checking his watch and the door, to see if things might have changed. What surprised him was that he saw, out of the corner of his eye, the flash of a black dress, long hair, and a black bow. He had long ago learned not to question how she did her things, or how she found out the things that she did, but he had to know what the deal was. He signaled Yuriya, and said, "Babe, could you make sure you tend to table five? You'll see why when you go there. Just give her what she wants, and give me the tab."

Outside, someone was making a decision. Chiyuki stared at the restaurant, hoping that she was still invited. She jumped, landed in front of it, and walked in. Jean-Claude adjusted his position to do two things: one, facilitate her sitting down, and two, to ensure Karin does not bolt, that they could take care of business. Karin started to stir, but he said, "She did not know! Okay? She didn't know. We can explain everything when she gets here. Remember what I said, guys: make her feel welcome!"

"Doing the right thing is always my specialty, helping damsels in distress, aiding the helpless: I Wiener Sinclair, reeducated and reformed vampire hunter will always be there to..."

This was followed by his squealing as Maki grabbed his ear and yanked him back down, saying, "Okay, Indy, we get the point! Sheesh!"

Jean-Claude looked over to her and tilted his head, as if to indicate, "Come here," he not knowing another set of eyes stared that riveting stare of which she was capable as Chiyuki passed.

Chiyuki nodded, the looked apologetically at Karin and Kenta. She walked forward slowly, feeling the eyes of Anjou on her. As she sat down, Yuriya dutifully came over and asked what she wanted to order, and wondered why the poor girl looked so pale, (as he had not had chance to tell her anything yet.) Chiyuki shook her head. "I'm fine, really, just a glass of wine would be good," she said smiling.

Yuriya looked at her funny. She looked right on the line for alcohol, and she did have the maturity, so she let it go, saying, "Uh...Okay, red or white?"

She looked over her at Jean-Claude, and he mouthed the word, "Later."

"Red wine," she said, trying to drop a hint.

Yuriya went to fetch it, not knowing what she was hinting, while Jean-Claude explained, "What we are looking at is this: the next time your blood..." trying to get down to business, but Maki said, with a big smile on her face, "It's so good to meet you! I'm Maki!"

Jean-Claude just put his hands in his face and shook his head. "Same here, I am Chiyuki Tanaka," introducing herself.

Jean-Claude sighed, and then said, "So, as I was saying..." but he was again interrupted, as Wiener said, "Oh, damsel of worry! What angst! I bleed for you, I feel for your plight, I..." and Maki grabbed his ear again, pulled him down more forcefully, and said, "...am long winded! Sit down, you!"

Chiyuki giggled cutely at the display, as Yukiko pulled up a chair, with a more subdued Goth punk look than she used to have, whispering, "Wow! Another vampire! Is it true that you were made?"

Jean-Claude started motioning with his hand to keep it down more, not wanting too much attention. However, another set of ears was taking it all in. Chiyuki nodded, and explained, "I was abandoned at creation," as Neko came to land swiftly on her shoulder. Yukiko looked around, leaned forward, and whispered, "That's horrible! I've read fiction like that, but I never thought I'd see it!"

She then stopped and thought for a moment, and then looked at Jean-Claude, and said, "Wait a minute! I thought you said that didn't happen!"

"It's a new one on me too!" he responded, "and rare, it seems."

She then stopped and thought for a moment, and said, "My goodness, if they had known that that night, and if they had..." and she stopped herself, thinking about what could have happened. She then said, "Geesh! I owe you guys my life!" now knowing how close to a fate worse than death she really had come. Chiyuki looked at the others curiously, not sure what it was about which Yukiko spoke. "Well, those renegades are gone forever, and they will not harass you anymore," said Jean-Claude, "But what surprises me is that you still have somewhat of a fascination about our world despite what happened in that Goth club."

Chiyuki listened carefully, trying to figure things out and storing information she needed to know in her data banks. Yukiko remembered the talk at the club, and the next day, and realized that it may not be something to pursue. However, she was curious. "Let me sit beside her, there's so much to learn!"

Jean-Claude relented, and switched seats. As he did so, he looked at Chiyuki, and said, "It's a different world. Vampires may have a chance now. As Bob Dylan said, (and he sang,) '...for the times they are a changin!'"

Chiyuki nodded and smiled, ready to answer any of Yukiko's questions. "Are you the only one, or are there others?" she asked.

"I am not sure if there are others, I only know of one, and she was killed by the humans," she said quietly.

"Dude, that sucks!" she said, "This is so Anne Rice!" she then said, with that teen-age enthusiasm. She thought for a moment, and said, "How much is your world like that?"

"Like what?" she asked, frowning.

Jean-Claude had to intervene at this point, and said, "People like Anne Rice and others have actually been making our world, well, for the lack of better terms 'more acceptable' to mortals. Take _Interview With a Vampire._ for example. What I think she wonders is, if the ways vampires are depicted in that are the same here, in real life?"

Yukiko then said, "Yeah, that's kind of what I am aiming at. It almost seems there that you guys aren't such bad people. Why do they look at you as bad, I mean, that's not fair! You have feelings too! You're not heartless! LeStat is like that, sort of. I mean, you get lonely, you want people around, (as she pointed to Karin and Kenta,) you like to have fun, go shopping, I mean, what's so wierd about that?"

"Oh that dark and twisted...my entire world is like an Anne Rice novel in that sense then," she said smiling.

"If you say 'dark and twisted' in reference to Anne, I would be forced to agree," answered Jean-Claude, "That girl has an obsession with death and the beyond! I think she's off her rocker!"

Yukiko then said, "Well, I guess all I'm saying is that these guys helped me to love people more. I mean, I already did love people, and I didn't care about differences. I just wish people could see how cool this all is, and how cool you all are together!"

"My story may take awhile," she said quietly.

"I'd be interesting in hearing it, as well as sharing my own, but first, Yukiko, what do you have to say about what I asked you?"

"Well, I was in elementary school, and I had a best friend that happened to be an American girl. She had a hard time due to the language barrier, but I helped her learn quickly. At that age, race doesn't matter—adults have a lot to learn from kids."

"Hate is learned, not instinctive," said Jean-Claude, "But do go on."

She continued, "We became tight friends. We did everything together. Yet, one day, a bunch of older boys saw us hanging out, yelled at me for being with a bakkaru gyjin, and nearly beat her to death. Her parents would not let me see her after that, and she was transferred. I never saw her again. I couldn't understand why they did that, just because she looked different."

"Sounds to me that this whole vampire thing came up after?" he said.

"I read 'Interview' soon after, and I have always felt, 'If I could be like that, I could protect everyone, and no one would ever have to be scared anymore.'"

Chiyuki nodded, and warned before she started, "I will not filter my story so be wary. A vampire who then turned me into a vampire without realizing it seduced me. He abandoned me and left me for dead, that was when Neko found me and brought me back up to my feet and kept me from falling into insanity. I hunted that vampire down, found out a way for me to become a normal vampire; that was the fountain of Psyche. I fell in love with a regular vampire and we found out I could not have children and was barren. The elders for affiliating with me killed him, then I found another vampire who was like me, and she was killed while protecting me from the Elders. I found out that Karin Makka was the one I searched for and came here. Then I smelt Jean-Claude and you know the rest."

"Well, here's the short of it," said Jean-Claude, "My father was an officer in the Marine Corps., and I spent all his time working at night. That's how he met my mother. She was attracted to courage, and he had plenty of that! At first, he was only an occasional feed, and she would come back to him from time to time. However, they began to build a rapport, and he made advances that she turned away. However, this did not last, as her attraction to his courage started to go beyond her blood taste. Soon after, they were dating, and, despite displeasure by the council there, it was allowed. When he retired, they wed, and they moved to Camden-Rockport in Maine. The Council was not too happy with this, and though they begrudgingly allowed what they called a 'temporary fling,' knowing that he could not outlive her, there were still a rash of 'incidents' dealing with them. However, it built to a head when I came along. 'Incidents' began to become 'accidents.' A vampire even tried to kill me in the hospital, disguised as a nurse, the day I was born. She was caught, and vanished soon after. Soon, it became a problem, and they had to hide. Keeping mother fed was a chore because of the low populations around. We had to shift from town to town. They never hid anything from me, figuring that the truth was better than lying to me. We hooked up with my grandfather, also a member of the corps, and we started to live off the land. Eventually, we wound up in the White Mountains, and we built a cabin in the darkest part of the woods, in case mother had to be up during the day. They always taught me to love the individual for who they were, and not what they were, and never to hate. Things were fine for about five years, and then it happened. To make a long story short, the council around there put a death sentence on the three of us, tried to kill my grandfather and I on the road, and got him, followed me, burned down my house, chased us into the woods, got my did, and then mom. They caught me, but if it weren't for a group of vampires that lived in the woods, isolated from everyone else, that lived off animal blood, (it was not so bad when you get used to it,) and raised me. They took over where my folks left off, and took someone who could have been a raging beast, and turned me into an avenging angel. Let's just say that, before I came here, the vampire population dropped significantly in that area before I came here. Now, I am here to protect, stop some renegades, and settle down. So, here I am!"

Chiyuki chuckled and said quietly, "Sounds like hell."

"For who, them, or me?" he smiled, with a slightly evil grin.

"Both," she said shrugging.

"I've learned that the best thing you can do is try to take the lemons one has handed you, and make lemonade," he said, "It beats being bitter!"

Yukiko, to try to lighten things up, said, "Well, Chiyuki, if you ever need a place, or help, I'm your girl!"

"I'd like to know how you would pull that off," thought Jean-Claude, when a presence showed up, sitting in his lap with her meal, saying, "Yes, big brother, I wonder the same thing."

Everyone jumped, and sighed, realizing who this was, and Jean-Claude said, "I said it before, and I'll say it again: you could sneak up on Death and scare him!"

Chiyuki jumped back and landed in the next table over, exclaiming angrily, "Who the hell!"

"You can relax, it's just Anjou, (saying her proper French pronunciation,) she has a problem with being subtle," said Jean-Claude, "Corn Muffin, why don't you introduce yourself to our new friend."

"That's not funny," she said furrowing her brow and coming to sit back down.

"I have heard the whole conversation," she said, continuing to eat, and never dropping her deadpan expression, "and I must say, this is a first. You need to be careful, big sister, (referring to Chiyuki,) there are those that would not understand, and would never want you to try to gain from the _pistis sophia_, right, Big Brother? Know, however, I am not your enemy. Big brother here is a key to our hope, and I would stand in anyone's way of his dream."

She continued to eat, acting as if nothing was wrong. Chiyuki stared curiously at Anjou and asked, "How old is she?"

"'She' just turned 13," said Anjou, not liking how she was being referred to in the third person while being there, and she continued, "And I have fully awoken. I awoke about a year and a half ago, but I learned much beforehand."

"And sometimes she's the brains of the outfit," said Jean-Claude, "She is already very powerful, and acts like my conscience sometimes. She's also my partner, and now band mate, now that I have taught her guitar. She seems even to be getting better than me!"

"You're only thirteen?" she said unbelievingly to Anjou, "You acted like you are Centuries old."

She scratched the back of her head, and suddenly did not like the imagery that was coming to her. She screeched, "AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN MATE! YOU'RE ONLY THIRTEEN!"

Everyone in the restaurant turned to look, and Jean-Claude calmed down the crowd, and said, "Shh, calm down! When I said that, it means that she is the member of the musical band of which I am a part. She plays lead guitar, and she is quite a good picker. Everyone thinks she's wearing a set of classical picks, when in fact it's her vamp nails. Of course, no one can tell that in the dark. She's my little sister, in a sense, and not MATE!"

He leaned forward, and said, "If anyone has that title, it's her," as he pointed to Yuriya. "Henry just got the paperwork recently; we are essentially man and wife. Henry's having some of the bats build our house on the property."

Chiyuki sighed, and explained, blushing slightly, "Sorry, I have always hated that about vampire society. It gets me angry faster then anything."

"I know," said Jean-Claude, "It does not matter the age. If they are technically adults, they are betrothed and married off, and that is that. I am glad it was not that way with me and Yuriya, or Kenta and Karin here. There is such a thing as love, and I do believe that is what brought this whole crowd together. Bedsides, one, no one would ever have betrothed their daughter to me, and two, I don't think I could accept anyone that young anyway."

Chiyuki nodded, smiled, and said quietly, "Karin Makka-san, I don't need your blood, because I have nobody, my somebody died a long time ago, but, I was wondering if I could, maybe, just hang out here and join your little posse?"

Karin smiled, and said, "I think there is more to it than that. First, you're always welcome. Second, Jean-Claude said there could be something else."

"That's right," he said, "I was thinking about it, and I do believe that there would be more than just fertility at stake here. For you to be fertile, that means that your undead status needs to be removed. Her blood is a fountain of life, and this could reactivate your body. At the very least, you could be a normal vampire!"

Karin smiled, and said, "When it comes that time of the month again, just call me, and I will see what happens. The worst that can happen is nothing, right?"

"It could also be temporary," she said quietly, and then asked, "And what good would turning into a real vampire do me, I would sacrifice the sun for what: so I could stand garlic and needed less blood?"

"The way I see it, to be a normal human again is also a possibility," he said, "And my philosophy is, 'Some chance is better than none at all.' Even if temporary, what would you then have lost? You went in knowing that it might not work, so you would not be disappointed at the results."

Anjou then said, "Besides, the darkness is not so bad, once you get used to it. There is beauty to the night."

Maki then said, "Hey, sing that 'Phantom' song again! That was so cool the last time!"

Before he could react, Anjou was already getting his 12-string, and he began to play _The Music of the Night _for them. Once again, the whole restaurant applauded. "It's all how you look at it," he said.

Karin then thought, "You know, you look young enough, why don't you enroll in my school, if you don't want to change. At least you can learn how to cope with people again!"

"Yeah," said Jean-Claude, "Hockey season is starting soon, and I am going to show Japan how a Canadian-American plays hockey—the real way!"

Chiyuki couldn't believe how easily she was accepted...the real monster humans described as vampires...the undead, and these humans and vampires had accepted her like it was nothing. "I think, I might join the school, though I will warn you I have a temper and am angered easily," she warned.

"Oh, I have one too," said Jean-Claude, "I just take it out on my opponents on the ice, and...well...you remember last night, right"

Anjou then got her little Mona Lisa smile, and said, "I know what it feels like to be alone, and it is worse when it was a time when I was alone in my own house. Big Brother here changed all that. No one should be alone, even you."

"Especially you, considering," added Jean-Claude. He then said, "Welcome to the Clan."

"What do you mean by that," asked Maki.

"I think I know what he means," said Yukiko, "and sometimes, it can refer to some kind of vampire group. However, us, well, we are the antithesis of what many think in both the human and vampire world. Talk about flying the proverbial finger at the status quo. Besides, with all our pasts, how could we not be a group?"

"Yeah," added Karin, "its fun being different when you have a healthy attitude about it, right bro?"

"Dead on, sis," he said, smiling. Chiyuki nodded, "Well I haven't drunk blood in a while so I'll be back...whenever," she said while getting up. In a blur, she was gone, walking the streets in search of prey. "Do you think she will be back?" asked Karin.

"I think so," said Jean-Claude, "I think she just has to do a bit of thinking right now. I think this whole thing blew her mind. I hope she does, because I am now so desperate to help her."

Anjou then chimed in, saying, "Just watch out for Grandmamma, because we may have to defend her, considering what I heard."

Jean-Claude nodded his head, remembering the story his, well now essentially, wife had told him when she and Elda had met. "As long as she is asleep, she is safe," said Jean-Claude, "When she awakens, she is going to have to lay low."

"There is another pressing problem, big brother," said Anjou.

"What's that," said Jean-Claude.

"If the renegades ever figure out how to do what happened to her, there could be far more problems stopping them than you think," said Anjou, very wisely.

Chiyuki was thinking things over carefully as she tried to sniff out hatred, enough to quench her thirst. Soon enough, she passed a drunkard, raving to himself about how the world had wronged him. Chiyuki walked up to him smiled and pulled him into a dark alley and bit him. When she had her fill and she had erased the drunk's memories, she sat down and thought, thinking it over if she should stay, or if she should go with her original plan and go kill the elders. Meanwhile, after Yuriya got off shift, the newlyweds walked up the hill and saw the new house almost complete. As they went to their room, Jean-Claude asked, "So, what did Julian say when you put in your notice?"

"He wasn't too happy, knowing that he was losing good help, but he'll get over it!" she said.

At that, they noticed on the end table some papers, and there were places marked out for them to sign. "I guess this will make it official, eh?" said Jean-Claude.

She just beamed at him as the two of them signed. They were now man and wife for as long as they both lived, and that could be for a long time! She then looked like she had an idea, and went over to the stereo, played Donovan's version of _Catch the Wind_, and set it on a loop, saying, "We haven't had our first official dance yet."

He smiled and bowed formerly. She curtsied, and they began. It may have been the same song, but they danced for a good twenty minutes, and then Yuriya kicked the door shut. If one were to stand outside, they would have heard Jean-Claude say, "Girl, you're going to wear me out!"


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter XXIII

The next school day came, and Jean-Claude, Karin, and Kenta all made their way down the hill. There was little in the way of conversation, and Jean-Claude wondered if it were possible to see Chiyuki in class. He wondered what grade they would put her if that were the case, or what she would look like in the uniform. He also wondered how much money she had. If she were old like he suspected, she had to have _something_ squirreled away. Of course, she would indeed gain praise from her teachers, considering that, at her age, whatever that might be, she would be an ace student. It all remained. In addition, he carried a large bag with a pair of hockey skates and a stick. It was the start of the hockey season, and he hoped that this would be a good tryout. He did not know how well they played hockey here, or if they understood the true Canadian philosophy behind the game. Being Franco-American with Canadian connections, he knew the game well. He had his own philosophy, and it stemmed back to the old Philadelphia Flyers: if you can't beat 'em on the street, you can't beat 'em on the ice! He hoped they were ready for him. Karin said, "So, you any good?"

He just affected an evil grin on his face, and said, "Wait till they get a load of me!"

The other two saw the look, and said in their minds, "Oh boy!"

However, Jean-Claude had one of those...well...feelings like something was near, but he could not put his finger on what. However, before he could get his faculties together, she popped in. Chiyuki was watching quietly, as she waited for the little posse she had join to come around, when she said Jean-Claude walking around with gear in his bag, she jumped down gracefully and landed abreast to him. The uniform looked amazing on her, her hair pulled back into a braid, "Ohiho, Claude-san," she said, smiling cutely.

Kenta nearly crawled out of his skin, as Karin jumped back and squealed. Jean-Claude was about to take a stance when he then figured out who it was. "Taking tips from Corn Muffin, or has she been learning from you?" he asked.

"I've been doing that longer then she has been alive," Chiyuki said quietly.

"And just how long have you been crawling around?" he asked, hoping this would not get too personal.

"A little over a thousand years," she said, smiling cutely.

His eyes went wide as he walked, looking like a codfish. He finally choked out, "But...but...I've never heard...that's...not even the average vampire has lived that long, at least, I don't recall hearing of that!"

"Average vampires didn't move around enough," she said, "I had too because they noticed I didn't age," she said quietly.

He thought for another moment, and then said, "Also, how did you get past registration? I mean, I had enough trouble, and had to give a false address until I moved in with the Markers! I figured that, at 17, being on my own would be a problem. Of course, I later learned that, if a kid, even if they are just 16, and they can sustain themselves, can rent and live on their own. Wow, that must be a hard row to hoe. Anyway, what kind of shenanigans did you pull off to get in without a problem?"

"Um…I told them I was you sister," she said.

His eyes nearly popped out of his head, and Karin shuddered. Jean-Claude said, "Umm...you do realize that would give you a last name of Marker, that is, Makka, here in Japan? You also realize that means you would have to use my address, right? Oh boy, covering for this is going to take some thought."

Then he remembered that he had not told her that, both in the human and vampire worlds, Henry had legally adopted him, and he then told her that this had happened.

"Oh...well…I knew you didn't have a family, so I said I was a long lost sister, I fluttered my eyelids, looked cute and they said nothing," she said, scratching her head.

"Well, no sense in worrying about that now," he said, "We have to get to class. Give me time, and I'll figure out something today."

He then had an epiphany, "You know, Yuriya and I have recently wed, right?"

"Yea, I knew,' she said, smiling.

"Well, the bats have almost finished the house we will be using," he said, "We may have to sneak you in for the time being, until we talk to papa, but you are welcome to stay there. Cool?"

"Okay," she said smiling; she then started to act cute as the walked into the school building.

As they entered, she flipped her hair over her shoulder and smiled slightly, making herself look innocent. She had completely changed form the person he knew. Jean-Claude put a hand to her forehead, (slightly shaken by the lack of heat emanating from her,) and said, "Are you feeling alright? This is like a Jekyll and Hyde..." but before he could continue, he remembered his own demeanor when he hunted, and that was normally his game face, considering what he chased, and what he had to do to get it. At least that would not come for another month or so. She said, (constantly affecting a smile on her face,) "Jean-san, this is so I can keep things simple and it keeps people form suspecting anything about me."

"Yeah," he said, "I didn't stop to think. Besides, it's kinda the same way with me, although, what you saw a couple of nights ago was more like a game face. I am more focused on the task at that point."

She acknowledged this with a nod as they entered the classroom. As they did, the teacher intercepted Chiyuki, saying, "It is so good to see you, Makka-san. Please stand up here as I introduce you to the class!"

Chiyuki blushed, "Well gosh, thanks," she said, making the most cute face possible, so much so, that practically all the guys where having nosebleeds. She then whispered in a fashion that she knew only Karin, Kenta, (with his g'hul abilities,) and Jean-Claude could hear, "Does Ren have anyone special?"

Karin whispered back, "Ren...have someone special? You might as well ask for pigs to fly! He's like a doorknob—every girl gets a turn!"

The teacher called for the students to take a seat, and the teacher said, "Okay everyone, we have a transfer student here. Here name is Chiyuki Tanaka Makka. She is a long, lost sister that was just recently able to reunite with her brother, Jean-Claude Makka!"

Everyone began to applaud, and then the teacher said to her, "So, tell the class where you come from, how old you are, and what are some of the things you like to do."

She touched her finger to her lips and then got very excited, answering, "I am sixteen years old, and I am from Florida in the Americas. I like to write poetry and draw," she said.

Every boy's eyes were dreamy, as they were fantasizing about her being his girlfriend. Some were naughtier than others were, but she could have said that she was Attila the Hun, and it would not have mattered in their eyes. However, Karin, Kenta, Wiener, and Maki were stifling laughs, as Jean-Claude was making motions as if he were spreading a lot of cream cheese on a bagel, staring right at her, with a knowing smile on his face. Chiyuki giggled at him then turned to the teacher, asking "Could I sit down?" pointing towards a seat next to a boy who's eyes looked like they might explode. "Certainly," she said, "And I am glad you mentioned poetry, because, in English class today, we are discussing the form. Jean-Claude is going to read his favorite poem by Kipling, and if you have one, you are welcome to read it as well, even if it be one of your own!"

She giggled and took her seat next to the guy with the bulging eyes. She started to write down one of her favorite poems she had written:

I take back my tears; the wasted years I spent crying for what could never happen.

I take back my heart; my shattered heart up off the ground and back in my arms.

I walk away a free woman, held by nothing of yours; to fly away free as the wind.

The boy glanced over, saw what she had scrawled, and he gushed, "That is so beautiful," with that same dreamy look. "Arigatou…umm…" she said, trying to think if he had told her his name. Just then, Neko came and hoped on to her shoulder, he rubbed his head against her neck and purred softly. The cat caught the attention of the teacher, and said, "Who is that on your shoulder Chiyuki-san?"

"Him? He is Neko-chan!" she said, petting his head.

"Well, I know you didn't bring him in," she said, "He must have snuck in. However, you know he cannot be in here during class, right?"

"Oh please Sensei, he has never been without me and he gets scared easily, so he followed me," she said her eyes big and pleading.

The teacher came up, and began to scratch the cat's head, saying, "He is adorable, but, you know how the bureaucrats are: sanitary conditions, having to have a litter box, what a cat may carry in. The only way that could happen is if he were to be made some kind of mascot. But the school has the Bats, and I don't know how this could be done."

"He is clean: I wash him everyday, and he is well behaved," she said, saying her argument with pleading reason.

At this, the boys of the class were showing their support for her and Neko, if for no other reason than to gain her favor. Because of the pleading, the teacher said, "Well, just for today, as long as he is housebroken. I'll have to see if we can keep him."

Chiyuki smiled and petted Neko, "He is, and Arigatou," she said, to the bulgy-eyed boy next to her.

"Yes?" he said, dreamy-eyed.

She smiled at him and gave him a cookie she had in a lunch box, "I made these this morning, please accept," she said, holding it out.

"That's Chiyuki-san, nice, you're welcome!" he said, robotically taking the cookies, so smitten, that rational words ceased to come from his mouth. Meanwhile, every girl behind her was gnashing her teeth at her, not liking this new rival's presence. She turned to smile, oblivious at the girls, and waved. All Jean-Claude could think was, "Oh God, if they try anything, they are in big trouble!"

That afternoon was English class, and Jean-Claude presented what was his favorite poem, and what spelled out much of the philosophy in his life. It was titled _If_ by Rudyard Kipling, and it went as follows:

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or being hated, don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master;

If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breath a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with kings—nor lose the common touch;

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;

If all men count with you, but none too much, If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And—which is more—you'll be a Man, my son! (Public Domain in the United States.)

He then said, "If only enough people thought like this, the world would be a better place."

Chiyuki applauded and cheered, "Go Jean-san!" all the while sitting next to a curly red head, which would look down at her breast when he thought she wasn't looking.

"Wow! The Bats could use you in the stands this year!" said Jean-Claude, "Tryouts are today. Why don't you come and watch—I could use all the support that I could get."

"I might come, though sports never interested me much," she said, yawning.

"I think you'll like ice hockey," he said, "It plays fast and hits hard," and then joked, "And that's just in the stands!"

The teacher then spoke up and said, "Okay, so, let's have some feedback on Jean-san's poem, in English, mind you—this is the whole purpose of the class."

She then looked at Chiyuki, and said, "Let's start with you, since you are so enthused to participate today!"

"I think it is a wonderful and thoughtful poem that I wouldn't mind reading over and over again," she said, in the thickest, sweetest way she knew how.

"Anyone else?" she asked, but almost all the boys were fixated on the "goddess" that sat in the room, and the girls were showing too much anger and hatred to answer. Thus, Kenta spoke up, and said, "I think people would not hate so much if they had this attitude."

"People would leave each other in peace," said Karin.

"I don't tink peopre would be so judgmentau," said Maki, still having diction problems. The teacher said, "Watch your pronunciation."

She remembered what Jean-Claude had said, and she tried again, "I don't... (sticking her tongue between her teeth,)...think... (with a healthy "t-h,") people would be so judgmental."

"Much better," said the teacher.

Jean-Claude chimed in, and said, "There is a folk song that talks about unity, and I would like to sing it, if that's okay."

"Go ahead," she said. With that, he picked up his 12-string, and began to play an old folk song entitled _River of Jordan_, talking about there being only one river that leads to only one sea, and that all are really one people, no matter who or what they are, and more importantly, one spirit to all. The song began to move a bit, and everyone began to clap along with it, taking the edge off the mood in the class. Jean-Claude intended this ulterior motive, seeing how Chiyuki was getting ready to cause a civil war. Of course, Chiyuki was doing this is so she could make prey, and thus when she drank from them, she would make friends out of them. Of course, Jean-Claude did not know this, although he had his suspicions. Everyone applauded at the rousing song as he took his seat. The teacher then said, "Many songs are poetry set to music. It can have the same effect. Now, Chiyuki, you said you liked to write poetry. Would you like to recite one that speaks from the heart, or gives a unique perspective on the world?"

Chiyuki stood up and smiled, "I am going to recite Edgar Allen Poe's biggest, most popular poem," she explained before she started reciting:

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,

As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.

`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door - Only this, and nothing more.'

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,

And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.

Eagerly I wished the morrow; - vainly I had sought to borrow From my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Lenore - For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore - Nameless here for evermore.

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain

Thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;

So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating

`'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door - Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door; - This it is, and nothing more,'

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,

`Sir,' said I, `or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;

But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,

And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,

That I scarce was sure I heard you' - here I opened wide the door; - Darkness there, and nothing more.

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,

Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before

But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness gave no token,

And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, `Lenore!'

This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, `Lenore!' Merely this and nothing more.

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,

Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.

`Surely,' said I, `surely that is something at my window lattice;

Let me see then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore - Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; - 'Tis the wind and nothing more!'

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,

In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore.

Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;

But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door - Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door - Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,

By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,

`Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,' I said, `art sure no craven.

Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the nightly shore - Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!'

Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,

Though its answer little meaning - little relevancy bore;

For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being

Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door - Bird or beast above the sculptured bust above his chamber door,

With such name as `Nevermore.' But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only,

That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.

Nothing further then he uttered - not a feather then he fluttered - Till I scarcely more than muttered

`Other friends have flown before - On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.'

Then the bird said, `Nevermore.'

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,

`Doubtless,' said I, `what it utters is its only stock and store,

Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful disaster

Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore - Till the dirges of his hope that melancholy burden bore Of "Never-nevermore."'

But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,

Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door;

Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore –

What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore

Meant in croaking `Nevermore.'

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing

To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;

This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining

On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er,

But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er,

_She_ shall press, ah, nevermore!

Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer

Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.

`Wretch,' I cried, `thy God hath lent thee - by these angels he has sent thee Respite - respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore!

Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this lost Lenore!'

Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

`Prophet!' said I, `thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil! - Whether tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,

Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted - On this home by horror haunted - tell me truly,

I implore - Is there - _is_ there balm in Gilead? - tell me - tell me, I implore!'

Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

`Prophet!' said I, `thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil!

By that Heaven that bends above us - by that God we both adore - Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,

It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels named Lenore - Clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels named Lenore?'

Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

`Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!' I shrieked upstarting - `Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!

Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken! Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit the bust above my door!

Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!'

Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;

And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,

And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;

And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor Shall be lifted – nevermore

She then waited for the class's response. Normally, this poem causes all kinds of responses. Even though she gave forth the happy-go-lucky kind of appearance in the class, her reading of the poem smacked of some kind of empathy towards the character. She read it as if she were the man conversing with the raven, pleasing in vain for the relief of his sorrow, pain, regret, and loss. Every utterance of "Nevermore" was the same, but had more impact with each request of the speaker. In short, she read it as if it were from her heart. Members of the Clan did not miss this, but the boys had a different reaction. Every boy in the class instantly wanted to hold her, console her, and remove the sorrow from her face as she read. However, although the girls were struck into silence, some wanted to crawl into a hole and hide, while others began to conspire as to their next step. The boys offered various kinds of feedback that exuded sympathy. All Jean-Claude could say was, "It seems like you read it as if you were the one who wrote it."

Oddly enough, this got some of the boys talking, wondering why he wasn't so head-over-heels for the girl as they were. Some mentioned that he already had someone, while others murmured why he would go after the likes of her when he could have this!

Chiyuki smiled, saying, "I like Edgar Allen Poe's writings, that they don't do what normal poetry does and highlight the good things, so I like it because of that," looking to the side. She truly knew that this poem did relate to her. Jean-Claude, to probe her mind a bit, asked, "What about Poe's poems entitled _Annabel Lee_ or _She Walks with Beauty_? I do think there were many facets to the man that many miss."

Now the other boys were looking oddly at him, seeing that he seemed completely unfazed at the sight of beauty standing before them. Despite all this, (and well seeing how things were going,) Karin had all she could do to keep from breaking into a laughing fit! "Facets are faults right? Well I want you to name one guy in here who doesn't have a soft side or a faulty wiring," she said, furrowing her brow in pretend irritating, trying to keep herself from laughing. Kenta, also catching the humor of the moment, had to add, (as seriously as he could feign,) "Facets aren't always faults, just different sides to one's personality, right Jean-Claude?"

Jean-Claude just turned his head and gave him that raise eyebrow look. He then said, (giving her that knowing look,) 'Everyone has their quirks—I mean, who doesn't?"

Oddly enough, this picked up the ire of a few boys in class, and one even said to him, "Hey! Watch your manners! You sound like you're saying she's crazy!"

Instead of getting defensive, Jean-Claude had his own way of handling it. He looked the boy dead in the face and said, "No, but how do you know I'M not? Do you really want to find out?"

He leaned forward with a grin and glare. Considering the clear size difference between the two boys, the other boy got the hint, and had all he could do to keep from soiling his underwear. The other boys quickly, and for the first time, realized that he was the kind of person that did not give a flying flip what others thought of him, because they knew there was really no one in school that could gainsay him, or were really that foolhardy to try. "Oh please don't fight," she pleaded, adding on even more innocence and cuteness. Just to add on the humor, she said, "Fighting is wrong!" trying to restrain a chuckle. "Oh, me, fight?" he said, "There wouldn't be a fight, well, something that you could call a fight."

"Oh really," said another boy who did have a bit of size, and tried to posture a bit, "How good are you? Or is all that martial arts training you claim all an act?"

Jean-Claude just sighed, trying to remind himself, "You're a Christian, your a Christian, turn the other cheek," but he then said, "Son, I would rather not fight, but, if you really wanted to, there would only be two hits: me hitting you, and you hitting the floor!"

The teacher was beginning to see that things were getting out of hand, and she was trying to keep something from happening. Fortunately, for her, the bell to end the day sounded, and the class was dismissed. Jean-Claude put his guitar away and headed out into the hall, getting ready to go to the "barn" for the tryout. However as he started to make his way down the hall, the same boy deliberately bumped his chest as he passed. He stopped, turned and looked at the boy, and said, "Now hit this one," pointing to the side of his jaw. The boy, who did not like being fronted against, and really did not have any use for round-eyes, balled up his fist, and hit him. Jean-Claude just rolled his head back around. If looks could kill, the boy would have been a pile of ash. Suddenly, everyone gathered around, hoping for some action. The boy then said, "What are you going to do now, gyjin!"

Jean-Claude swiftly grabbed the boy by his shirt, lifted him high off the floor with one hand, and pinned him against the lockers, saying, "I don't know—the Lord didn't give me any further instructions!"

This silenced the hallway, and everyone figured that this boy was about to die. However, Jean-Claude looked around, knowing that he would get in trouble if his instincts kicked in, and just said, "You're not worth it!"

He released his grip, let the boy drop on the floor, picked up his bag, and headed to the rink. Kenta knew that those boys on the ice were in trouble if he chose to vent there. The boy just said, "I'm gonna kill you!" as Jean-Claude walked away. However, everyone really wondered just what he could do against the giant. Chiyuki frowned and followed Jean Claude out of the class, she smiled as she watched the other boy be thrown around, it was appeasing to the vampire eye, or at least hers. The boy wheeled around to see Chiyuki standing there, looking as if she had all the sympathy in the world for him, and he said to her, "Did you see that? Man, I'm gonna make him pay! I hate him! I hate those westerners! They think they're so smart and better than everyone else!"

He stood there fuming as he pondered all the ways he could exact revenge. Chiyuki's eyes widened and she nearly attacked him there, she managed to say one thing, asking quietly, "Would you like to talk this over a coffee or something?"

His anger mixed with ecstasy, considering who was asking, and he jumped at the chance, saying, "Sh...Sure!" not realizing that he was being pulled in like a fly into a Venus flytrap! Yuri smiled and led him away, beckoning him to follow. He almost looked like a cartoon character being led by the scent of good food, held by the nose by that scent, and not so much walking down the hall as he was floating. Of course, some of the girls stared daggers into her, resenting the fact that she had it so easy with the boys. One said to Karin, "I figured she was loose!"

Karin, now understanding the mindset of the vampire, and now truly embracing what she was, said, "It's not good to hold in that hate. You should get the chance to confront her about this!"

She chuckled to herself, knowing that she may just be setting up a future meal for Chiyuki, and thinking, "I bet Ren would be proud of me!"

Chiyuki lead him away until she was in a secluded area and she smiled at him, yet it was different then the smile she showed at school. "Such anger, wow, it makes me smile, and makes my mouth salivate!"

She then affected a businesslike look on her face, still with a smirk, and said, chuckling, "Don't scream or it will get worse."

His lust and anger turned to sheer terror at the sight, and he wanted to scream, but he was so terrified that expression left him. All he could do is stand there and have the appearance of a deer staring into headlights, and shake uncontrollably. Chiyuki bit on his neck and drank, then when she was done, she let the prey fall to the ground, and Neko came and brushed his tail under his nose and erased his memory of this date and the blood drinking. She headed for the ice rink, wondering the mindset of Jean-Claude, and wondering how much future prey she might have created by that mindset. If he built resentment on the ice, it could mean feeding for the next two years! "Yes," she thought, "Maybe mixing in the mortal world would be fun after all!"


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter XXIV

Hockey season was finally here, and, in all the sports, this was Jean-Claude's strongest suit. He came from a state right on the Canadian border, so avoiding hockey was almost impossible. He dove in headfirst! Jean-Claude was in the locker room, getting changed, and attempting to regain some composure before hitting the ice. He wanted to be aggressive, but at this stage, he just might kill someone. Someone then asked him, "What position do you play?"

He looked up at him and said, with a growl, "Enforcer!"

Someone then asked, "What did he say?"

The boy gulped and said, "Defenseman!"

He put on his Bruins Jersey, helmet with half-face visor, military Ray-ban sunglasses, grabbed his stick, and headed to the ice. As the others sat on the bench, they felt like Death himself was walking in. They turned to see the intimidating sight as Jean-Claude walked in and said, "Let's play hockey!" low and serious.

One could almost hear the strains of _Bad to the Bone_ begin to play as he took to the ice. As they went through some normal warm-ups, skill drills, and speed trials, he scanned the seats wondering if Chiyuki was coming. He had a good idea of what it was she was trying to accomplish. However, he did not like the fact that it almost came at the hands of an expulsion, or a suspension at the very least. Getting the girls jealous was one thing, and he could see her using that as a great cover to get what she wanted. However, trying to instigate a fight was something else entirely, and it was something that he was going to have to teach her, lest she herself gets into trouble. Chiyuki made it just in time and was looking for the rest of the posse she had joined; she searched the seats until she found Karin, Kenta, Maki, and Wiener. She plopped her happy behind near them, with a big grin on her face as she waved at Jean Claude. For the sake of the lights, and the white paint underneath the layer of ice, he wore the Ray-bans, considering what he was. However, he lifted them up just enough to see Chiyuki taking a seat, and waving as if she was some bubbly 16-year-old ditz. He set the glasses back down and raised a stick in her direction. At that, the coach said, "Okay, now it's time for open scrimmage," and he began dividing the players into teams, seeing what they had in open play. Jean-Claude took up his position in defense, and prepared his game face. His countenance went from jovial to beast in .2 seconds! On the other side, some of the boys were boys that had been angry with him in class earlier, and had been badmouthing him. One of them, a smug looking forward was thinking he was going to make the big oaf look like a fool. However, Jean-Claude's vampiric hearing detected this, and it caught his attention. When the boy went to the center stripe, he set to be ready for the face-off. Yet, when he looked up, he saw a statue in a Bruins Jersey and Ray-bans staring dead at him. He did not look particularly friendly either! Karin and Maki looked oddly at that, and Karin said, "Why is he just crouched over, not moving like that?"

However, the boys knew exactly what was going on, especially Wiener, who was raised in Germany, which is a nation that loves the sport. He just swallowed hard and said, "I think someone is going to die."

The boy being stared at said, "Do you think you scare me? Do you think I'd be in this sport if I were scared of taking a hit?"

Jean-Claude stood up and skated over, and whispered something to him, and went back to his position. The other boy did not look so brave anymore. Maki and Wiener said, "I wonder what that was all about?"

Kenta said, "I am not sure, but if any of my g'hul abilities are working correctly, it had something to do with ripping something off, and defecating in something."

Chiyuki's eyes widened and she said, staring warily at them, "Talk about violent."

Karin heard it clearly, and said, "He said, 'I'm going to rip off your head and defecate down your neck!'"

Chiyuki stuck her tongue out one corner of her mouth, lifting an eyebrow, trying to figure out how to react to the statement. She figured that it must have something to do with the game, so she cheered, "GO GET THEM ONII-SAN!" sticking with her earlier story of being Jean's sister.

The puck dropped and the play commenced. On the very first series, that boy who mouthed off came down ice, and found a shoulder in his back as he was pasted hard on the boards. The boards shook hard! Because the place was empty, it, and the boy's groan, echoed off the walls. Despite that, all that had come all released a hard, "Oof!" as he made the hit, as if they had been the one so pasted. Jean-Claude let him drop, and immediately went for the loose puck, paying it no mind—not even a backwards glance at his crumpled foe, who was now trying to regain his feet, trying to get the number of the truck that just hit him! Jean-Claude immediately scooped up the loose puck and went down ice. Because of the commitment of the forwards, and the sudden change in fortunes on the ice, Jean-Claude's crew found themselves in a 3 on 2 situation. The defenseman for the other team could only brace himself against Jean-Claude's massive form and harass him. He managed to dump the puck off to the center, which set up the one-time shot from the wing, which went top shelf in the goal—score! The opposing defenseman got cute and pushed a hand in the back of his head. Jean-Claude wheeled around, said, "You want to go at it!", and dropped his stick and gloves. The coach was over like a shot, and said, "Boys, calm it down! This is only a tryout! Save that for the game!"

Jean-Claude picked up his gloves and stick, glared at the boy, and went back to center ice for the next face-off. That set the pace for the scrimmage. The new kid had one good hit to his credit, and a point for his assist. The other team knew they were in trouble. Chiyuki stared at the rest of her posse, looking for a clue for what to cheer. Wiener knew that was a good hit, even though it was sort of a payback. He winced with the rest, but he said, "Like it or not, that was a good shot, and a good goal. Did you see that one-timer? I mean it was 'pass, pop, goal!'" The others, however, were concerned about how quickly Jean-Claude was ready to drop the gloves. Wiener said, "I think he is what would be called an enforcer. He looks for bullies and cheats on the other side, and neutralizes them. That means he plays with a hard, mean, but clean playing attitude. He uses good hits to set up offense, and well-timed passes. He's headhunting right now, trying to get them aware of him."

"What will that do?" asked Maki, feeling that she may not like what she was seeing.

"It will make the offense a little more leery about coming to that side, thus, limiting what they can do," said Wiener, "And I wouldn't cross him: getting hit by him would be the same as getting hit by a freight train, except there is one difference."

Karin, trying to figure out what Chiyuki was getting at asked Wiener, "What is the difference?"

"A freight train doesn't back up and finish the job!" said Wiener.

Chiyuki cheered, "RIP THEM APART ONII-SAN!" not caring if she was being stared at. Indeed, throughout the first part of the scrimmage, he was fast and hard. It was not so much that he was being particularly vicious; it was just that, when you got in his path, he would hurt you. In addition to that, he also knew when to use his stick and elbows cleverly, because, normally, elbows and stick work would earn you two minutes in the sin bin. The coach blew his whistle for a five-minute water break, and then he was going to mix up the players a bit to see different combinations of lines. At this, Karin said, "Let's go down, and talk to him, I wonder what's going on in his head?"

Chiyuki was getting read to simply just jump down and land gracefully. She got into a preparatory position and was about to jump, but Karin said, in pig Latin, "Exnay on the umpjay!"

She then whispered, "There are too many people watching. We don't need too many questions!"

Chiyuki froze and then stood up and walked like everyone else, though she did not seem too happy about it. Karin put an arm around her shoulder and said, "I know you are used to this, but if you wish to hang out with us, there are certain faces and appearances you have to keep. When it is just us, okay, but around here well...," She thought for a moment, and said, "If they ever found out, we would have to uproot every vampire in Tokyo and move somewhere else. That would not be good."

Chiyuki nodded and went to glomp Jean-Claude, yelling, "ONII-SAN! You'd better not lose!"

However, as clear as it was, she forgot all about the Plexiglas, and, in her jump, plastered herself right into it! Jean-Claude heard the loud *thud* and the shaking of the Plexiglas panel behind him, got up, and turned to see Chiyuki rubbing her nose. "Um, if you want to get in here, just jump down into the player's tunnel next to the bench here and walk around!"

He just put his forehead in his hand and shook it. He then said in a whisper that he knew only she could hear, "You're a vampire, not a ghost!"

She smacked her teeth at him and took the appropriate route to get to him to successfully glomp him. He laughed at the affection, and said, "Well, I hope you're enjoying things!"

Karin was now confused. He suddenly was not the vicious looking character she had been watching on the ice for the past ten minutes. Chiyuki smiled, and then backed away as a violent look came over her face, saying, "YOU HAD BETTER WIN OR ELSE ONII-SAN!"

"First of all, this is just a tryout," he said, "And don't worry, I'll make the team. Second, with some of that vicious, we should put skates on you, and put you out there," joking by this. The coach caught this and joined in, saying, "Well, the ladies do have a team, and they're on next. Put her out there when they come out—let's see what she's got!"

"I don't know how to play!" she said.

"Can you skate?" he asked.

"Well, yeah," she said.

He then whispered, "Where you're from originally, you have Native American in you, right?" hoping to make a connection between one sport and another. She nodded, saying, "Yeah, I do, but I don't study it much."

"Well, you had to have seen the game of Lacrosse at some point," he said, "I mean, that was a purely native American sport, and this game is much like it, except that its more on the ground, and fast."

He thought for a moment, and then went to the glass where everyone was, signaled Karin and Wiener to the tunnel, and handed over a big wad of cash. He then looked at Chiyuki, and said, "Tell you what, give Karin your sizes, or you can just go with her, and come back. Having some kind of activity could help your image, and whatever you don't know, I'll teach you. It is not that hard a game to play."

"Wait, is it like soccer, just more violent?" she asked.

"Now you're getting it," he said, "except you use the stick, not the feet. You can kick the puck along, and you can grab it out of the air, just don't pass it in either way."

"Oh...well then, that's easier than I originally thought. SIGN ME UP!" she yelled excitedly.

"Then you can either give her your sizes, or just go with her," he said, "And Wiener, you know what she needs for gear."

He thought for a second, and then he said, "Oh, wait, do you want to be on the ice, or do you want to play goalie?"

She raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Which one is more violent?"

"That depends on how you want to define it," he said, "If you like to skate and hit a lot, then on the ice is for you, (and do remember that there is an actual object to the game more than just hitting.) However, if you have no problem being pelted with hard rubber biscuits for 60 minutes, everyone on the team protect you, (because you are that important, that is, no one will take a cheap shot at you without feeling the wrath of the other five girls,) if you have good reflexes and are agile, then goalie is for you."

Chiyuki thought about it, and said, giggling, "For the sake of the poor kids who would have been injured otherwise, I'll tryout for goalie."

"Then get ready to look like a knight going into battle," pointing to the fellow in goal wearing the full face helmet, blocker, what looked liked a first baseman's glove, the large shin pads, and the large stick. He then said, "That's the most important position on the ice, because, without a goalie, they would be scoring all day long. You have to have sharp reflexes to stop, catch the puck, or just get your stick or yourself in front of the puck. You can use any part of your body to stop it, and it won't be bad, because you will be wearing so much protection that you will not feel it. Now, that arced area in front is called the crease, or goalie's box. No one can go in there unless the puck is there. However, you are not married to that spot, and you can leave it to play the puck. However, remember, when you do, you no longer have the protection of the crease, and you can be hit, or hit someone else, just like any other player. Note this also, if you stop the puck, and there are too many opposing players around you, just cover or fall on the puck, and freeze it—that is—freeze play, and they will just face it off. Now, while they get your things, sit here, and watch the keeper work as we do this last ten-minute set. Watch him closely, and see what he does. The guy over here likes the butterfly style, meaning his limbs are all over the place, he can flop down and stop the puck with his body, and then be back on his feet. It is hard to get it by him without lifting the puck, and even then, that is not a guarantee. The other guy likes to stay on his feet, but he can play at the top of his crease and use his shin pads well to stop the shots. He can get from one side of the crease to the other fast. The best goalies can do some of both styles. The most important thing to remember is that you must keep yourself between the puck and the goal mouth as much as possible."

With that, he jumped back on the ice to get ready for the second set. He then came back over and said, "Don't worry about my attitude on the ice. That's just my game face, nothing more," and went out to play. Then Chiyuki stared at the decked out goalie, and said, rolling her eyes, "I wouldn't even need all that."

"I know that and you know that," he said, sighing and rolling his eyes, "Just humor me, okay? What would people think if you took a puck going 95 mph hit you square in the jaw and you just sat there and took it? Besides, the rules wouldn't let you do that without protection. However, we can tone it down under your uniform a bit for better mobility. Just watch the keeper and learn some things, okay?"

With that, he went back to his position. Chiyuki walked back up to the stands and watched the game with a new eye, picking out helpful things that would better help her understand the game.

Karin and Wiener hit a sporting goods store, and hit the hockey shelves. They got the uni-top undershirt that gave all the protection a goalie needed. They got her one of the basic faceplate goalie masks that are all the rage now with, not just goalies, but with catchers in baseball. He made sure to get a sturdy stick, skates, and a good blocker and glove. Karin was amazed at all the gear, and she said, "It's amazing how they can move in this!"

"Yes, it looks like a lot, but note how light it is," said Wiener, "They design this stuff with that in mind. Man, she's a brave one!"

"What do you mean?" said Karin.

"Would you want to stand in front of the puck?" asked Wiener.

She picked up a hockey puck, and noticed how hard the thing was. She then imagined trying to stand in front of the thing, and then she looked at her teeth, wondering what it would be like to catch one there. She then thought, "No wonder these guys look like they never brush. All their front teeth have been knocked out!"

Then, she wondered why Jean-Claude did not wear a full plate on his helmet. They picked up a set of Ray-bans for her, (so recommended because of the florescent lights reflecting off the white surface.) With all the gear they got, Karin was sure glad that there was someone there to help carry it all.

However, when they returned to the rink, Chiyuki looked askance at all that a goalie had to wear. "That surely is too much gear," she said with a sweat drop bigger then life on her head.

Jean-Claude thought for a moment, and then he said, "Okay, some of that has a practical purpose, other than protection. The mitt is for catching the puck easier in your free hand. The blocker on your stick hand is just to make it easier to stop a puck, that is, it covers more area than just your forearm. You'll stop more that way. The same thing goes for the shin guards. It's more for area coverage than it is for protection. Even if you could work without that, think about how much more you could stop with it? If you _reeeeely_ want to go without the chest, arm and shoulder protectors, fine by me. Just don't tell the ref. It's your body!"

Chiyuki nodded, and went back to change. In about ten minutes, she emerged with the rest of the girls. "Am I ready for my close up?" she asked, after she had been decked out in hockey gear. After telling her about the basic rules, that is, enough to go out and play with, he sent her out. "Okay," said Jean-Claude, "You've seen what the goalie does. So, what's going to happen is that they are going to do some drills at first, to see your skill, and how to place you. Then they will have open play. I should be showered up by then, and I will be behind you. Listen carefully, because I'll be feeding you instructions from there, okay?"

She nodded, "Yup!" and yawned. He hoped her nonchalant attitude towards things would not cost her as he headed to the locker room to change. Kenta, Karin, and Wiener went to sit down as they watched Chiyuki go through her drills. Because of her abilities, Chiyuki found no difficulties in the basics of shot stopping, and playing the crease. Karin saw that everything was okay; however, she worried what would happen during open play. This was about to start when Jean-Claude took a position in the booth that sat right behind the goal. Chiyuki sat in front of the goal, her face wearing the expression of a monster pulled out of a horror movie, scaring the living daylights out of the other girls against her. As open play progressed, Jean-Claude found it odd that the opposition would only shoot from the top of the circles or the slot. They weren't charging in. Because of that, Chiyuki found it easy to catch the puck, block, and leave the crease to play a dump in pass. Karin and Wiener were scratching their heads. Karin said, "They don't seem to want to move in."

"It almost looks like they're afraid to move in," said Wiener.

Jean-Claude couldn't understand what was going on, until she came behind the net to clear the puck, and he saw her face. At that point, he was thankful for the grill on the mask, or else _both_ teams would be killing themselves to get off the ice. "Just be careful of that one or two goons that have absolutely no fear," he said in a normal voice, but one that she could hear, "They may just test how fearsome you really are."

As if an answer to this, (and just as she was taking position in the net,) two forwards were charging in, still keeping their distance, but using their speed to try to make it happen. They tried a quick pass and one-time touch to try to get it past her. However, she was quick enough to get in front of it, and it ricocheted off her chest. Because she forewent the protector, it left a nice welt on her chest, although she herself may not have felt it. The one girl said, (from a safe distance,) "I sure hope that stung!"

Chiyuki chuckled and made a "bring-it-on" gesture. Jean-Claude chuckled, and could only wonder what was going to happen next. Meanwhile, a couple of the girls went over to the coach, and they seemed to be discussing something. Then Karin watched as the coach gestured, and one of the girls on Chiyuki's side sat down. Wiener smiled and said, "It looks like the coach has seen something in Chiyuki."

"How do you know that?" asked Karin.

"She's setting up a power play situation," said Wiener, "She is going to see just how good she is under pressure. Feelings of anticipation, running through my mind: on the edge of my seat, excitement flowing!"

Karin wished, at this point, that Maki were here, just to calm him down! However, when Jean-Claude saw what was shaping up, he began to smile. He knew that he was about to see a show and he said, "Come on Chiyuki-san: kick some tail!"

Chiyuki watched curiously, ready for anything to happen, but not sure what would happen. They faced off the puck from the other blue line on center ice, and the girls on Chiyuki's team fell back into a defensive square, the others began to take positions in the attacking zone, and one in the center, just atop the slot. They then started to move the puck around, hoping to avoid a steal, or set up the one-timer that they could rip past her. Jean-Claude then said, "Stay in the crease—do not come out of it! Follow the puck with both your eyes and body. Always keep yourself between the goal and the puck!"

Chiyuki did as he said, her eyes following its every move, waiting like a snake ready to strike, ready for the puck to come. Finally, a pass rocketed in to the middle, and it was one-timed, intended to get through the five-hole, but Chiyuki sidestepped and caught it in her mitt, killing the play, and setting off a face-off at the left circle. The girls on her side screamed, and said, "Great snag, girl!" and the four skated past for the face-off, tapping her shin pads with their sticks as they went, one patting her on the head. She was staring at them, as if nothing had happened, then realized she did something good and turned to the opposite team, pulled off her mask, pulled down one bottom eyelid, and stuck out her tongue. "Blek!" she said, before she and her entire team broke out in laughter. The other girls were getting frustrated, and one started to approach, but she found, quick as a wink, four girls lined up in front, saying, "You want her, you have to get through us first!"

The coach was ready to stop any foolishness, but was not going to stop it altogether, because she knew that she was possibly looking at the core of her varsity team—and the starters at that. The face-off went, and the puck was cleared. One of the defense girls said, "Don't worry about them: we've got your back! Just keep it up!"

She put her mask on and her chainsaw massacre face came back. She was thinking of what she could do and if they would try something that stupid again. As was expected, the puck came back in ahead of the offense, and Chiyuki went back to play it. However, she saw them closing in, and thought better of it. However, because she was out of her crease, she was fair game, and they took advantage of it by blindsiding her to the ice. "Sorry: clean hit,' said Jean-Claude, while Karin yelped, "Oh no!"

They swept the puck to the other side, and were preparing to sweep it into the goal. Chiyuki's vampire side kicked in and she watched the puck and saw where it was going and blocked it before it had even got there, her chainsaw massacre face, turned into a face of pure hate and anger that would make the demons quiver in their boots. Everyone looked in amazement at how fast she was able to scoot on her belly to the puck, and then how quickly she was on her feet, ready for a rebound shot. A sideward glance back to the girl made her face turn white. However, the puck came her way, but before Chiyuki could pounce, her defense woman came over and pasted her in an open ice hit, (normally the worst you can take.) saying, "Not so much fun on the other end, is it..." and called her a female dog. She cleared the puck out, looked a Chiyuki, pointed at her, and winked with a smile as she headed down ice. The other girl was staggering to her feet, and was enraged. She looked at Chiyuki and said, "I'll see you after tryouts, whore!" and went down ice. Chiyuki looked like she was about to kill the girl who had talked to her in such a manner...she gritted her teeth and was about to go medieval on her buttocks! Jean-Claude saw what was brewing, and he said, "Just channel that into your keeping—your doing fine. You have that other girl watching out for you, so don't worry. She's like me—an enforcer. She takes care of the well-being of her teammates on the ice. Besides, if dummy wants to meet up with you, you can always take her out for a bite!"

Chiyuki seemingly calmed down and then smiled too sweetly at the girl who had insulted her and her teammate, and then said directly to the girl, "Its alright, people with real talent don't resort to that."

"'At a girl!" said Jean-Claude.

Not wanting to lose her position on the team, she just grunted, squeezed her stick, and went to go play the puck. Then, everyone was in for a surprise. The puck was dumped in again, and Chiyuki came out of her crease. She met the puck at the top of the slot, came up to the blue line with it, and rocketed a shot at the other goal! The other keeper, not expecting this, got her blocker up one split-second too late, and it deflected into the goal. Everyone cheered this shot, that, though not impossible, it was rare, and great sight to see. Jean-Claude yelled in approval, as Wiener and Karin were on their feet cheering. The coach blew the whistle, and said, "Great shot, Chiyuki: keep that in store, because we can use that this season! Okay, ten minutes, and then we'll get the other two keepers in there."

The one girl just avoided Chiyuki, while the other came up and said, "Wow, you did great! You're one tough cookie!"

She then extended a hand and said, "My name's Rei. And you?"

"Chiyuki Makka," she said, taking her hand and shaking.

At that, the other keeper came up, and had a familiar voice. "Wow! I didn't know you played! It's going to be great to have another girl to rotate with in goal! That was a sick shot! I wasn't expecting that!"

"Don't I know you?" she said, pointing at Yukiko.

"Sure!" she said happily, "We met at Julian's, remember?"

Rei then said, "Jean-Claude never mentioned he had a sister. Poor Mr. Makka--he must have a houseful now!"

However, Yukiko cocked her head at this, and then looked as if a light came on, and smiled at Chiyuki knowingly. However, Yukiko cocked her head at this, and then looked as if a light came on, and smiled at Chiyuki knowingly. "Well, at least we can talk while the other two girls take their turn in goal, let's go sit," she said, tapping Chiyuki on the shin guard with her stick, and going to the bench, and Rei went out to play some more. Karin spotted Yukiko, and made her way down, as Wiener followed suit. Jean-Claude then went over to congratulate Chiyuki. Chiyuki pointed at the girl form earlier, "I am going to hurt her," she whispered. She then lowered her hand and sighed. Karin heard this, and came around the tunnel side, as Jean-Claude climbed over the Plexiglas. He kneaded her shoulder, as Karin gave her a hug, and said, "You know how to take care of the hatred in her, right?"

Jean-Claude added, "You can also leave her with a bad nightmare! There are ways outside of violence and risking exposure to do what you seek."

"She might just have one if I have anything to say about it," she said smiling evilly.

"Do what you want," he said, "Just don't blow the lid off the thing. I can't tell you what to do."

She chuckled, and said, "Alright," before shooting a deadly glare at the girl who torqued her off.

All she could do was throw a sideways glance as she passed, trying to concentrate on her play.

Soon, all the girls were called over, and they were told, as the boys were, that the teams would be posted on the board in school the next morning. With that, they hit the showers. Chiyuki went in, and that one girl tried to follow, but Yukiko intercepted her, (to allow Chiyuki a head start if nothing else,) and pulled her into a side room. She slammed her hard against the wall, and said, "I'm telling you for your own good—leave her alone, because you are not going to like what happens to you if you don't!"

"Oh really!" she said in response, "And just what are you going to do about it?"

Yukiko backed off, smiled, and said, "It's not me you have to worry about!" and she walked away.

By the time the girl was done with her shower, Chiyuki was already gone. She thought, "So, she wants to get away, huh? She's not so tough!" and left the building to do homework and go home. However, Chiyuki followed the girl in whatever shadows she could find. She would soon rue the day that she did not heed the warning Yukiko had given. The girl felt the hairs on the back of her neck telling her someone was watching her. She picked up her pace and started walking and Chiyuki followed, finally she had her in the park. Chiyuki used her speed to be beside her in a second, "I'm a whore...right?" she asked in a whisper, next to the girl's ear. She spun around to see nothing, Chiyuki moved out of her line of sight. She turned and continued walking when Chiyuki came and tapped her on the shoulder. The girl spun around to face a bleak nothingness again. Chiyuki toyed with her like this until she was completely terrified. Then Chiyuki walked away, leaving that girl with nightmares as she dashed screaming towards her home, and didn't sleep very much that night. Unfortunately, her actions were not unobserved. Using a bat, Boris was watching for vampire activity, the large boy, and the crew with which he hung out that intrigued him. Boris' power and time as a vampire allowed him to avoid detection. He wondered about the short, bubbly, well-endowed Marker that was with them, and wondering why it was that she was out in the daylight. She certainly was of age at this point. He wondered if this was the one they had been looking for all this time. However, the new one that also walked in daylight also intrigued him. She also bore the Marker name, but he was unaware of another daughter in the mix. She also could walk in the sunlight, but she was far more gifted in her powers, so that may disqualify her as the blood cow. Yet, she was different. This would warrant some more observation. He had to be sure that she was the one, and then try to figure out who this new one was. Things just had to be in place before he tried for checkmate in his ultimate plot.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter XXV

Chiyuki walked home, feeling eyes on her but not really giving a rat's backside. She came across Jean-Claude and the rest and started walking with them, unaware of her own demise watching her. Karin was the first to spot Chiyuki, and greeted her warmly. (At this point, it was only Karin, Kenta, and Jean-Claude.) Karin then asked, "So, did you take care of that girl?"

"I think she is terrified!" Chiyuki said giggling.

Looking at Chiyuki, Jean-Claude asked Karin, "Have you talked to your dad?"

Karin hedged a bit, and then said, "Well, I told him there was a new vampire that wanted to meet him so he could make approval for her to be here, and to make sure she has a proper place, income: you know, normal things."

Kenta then asked, "But, did you mention her problem?"

Again, Karin hedged a bit more, and said, "Well, not quite."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Jean-Claude.

"I told him that she wanted to meet somewhat privately, so that way, prying ears won't get involved," she said, "I mean, telling dad that there are truly undead like it was not a big deal is not necessarily the best approach. As long as grandmamma stays asleep, we're good for now."

Chiyuki raised an eyebrow, and said, "Your grandmother is Elda Makka-san?"

Chiyuki then said, smugly, "The only thing to fear is me...I'm older then her, even she would have to respect that."

"She knows better than to cross me," said Jean-Claude.

Karin chimed in at that point, and said, "You know, I'm curious, bro. How is it that a Dhampir like you is so powerful? I mean, Yuriya-san is not all that powerful."

"That's because she never had what I had to hone her skills," said Jean-Claude, "For me, it's a combination of my physical fitness, my 'darker side,' righteous indignation towards evil, that being my blood taste, and, I believe divine influence. I am not the only one so powerful. I know of at least one in the states."

Chiyuki chuckled, and said, smiling slightly, "Power is in the mind. Yes, it is true some are stronger then others, but if you believe you are weak, then you will be weak, but if you believe you are strong then you are so."

"Thank you for saying that," he said, "Because belief in one's self to make it has been the difference between victory and defeat in many situations. Some have lived when they should have died, and granddad told me, before he died, that he knew of guys in POW camps of Vietnam who just rolled over one night in their sleep, and never woke up again, because they just gave up on life. I believe, and it is that belief and my belief in my God and in my dreams, that keeps me going and strong each day. However, I digress. Grandmamma is sleeping right now, and I hope that she is really thinking about what I had told her not too long ago."

He then told what had happened that day. Chiyuki shrugged, and said, "Whatever, I'm just gonna chill around anyway, till the foolish ones who tried to kill me leave themselves open," and then she thought about it and covered her mouth, "_I'm so stupid! I told them my plans of killing off elders!"_ she thought to herself, mentally cursing herself. "Kill who?" he asked, "What are you talking about? Is someone still chasing you?"

"Ah...oh well, might as well tell you," she explained, not really sure of how much she exposed. Now she had to say something. She then said, "I said the Elders, who hate the undead thing I am, killed two close friends of mine, yes?" making sure they remembered.

She then continued, "I promised them I would complete a mission the both of them wanted to do—to teach the Elders we should we respected. Moreover, respect can be earned one of two ways, you scare them, or you get them to trust you. Obviously the second one is not going to work, so we were going to raid them and make them respect us. It backfired. They killed Hiroshi-kun when he slept, and they killed Ai-chan when she was weak and without blood. I hate them for what they did to my closest friends, and the Elders didn't bother to listen to them. Hiroshi-kun was instantly guilty by association, and Ai-chan, by being one of us; they were trying to kill me. She jumped in the way, telling me to run. I came back to find Ai-chan barely alive. I promised her I would complete our mission at the cost of my life, and she smiled at me, laughed, and then died. So, I will fulfill my promise to them and teach the responsible ones a bit of respect."

There was silence as they walked for a good fifteen minutes, not noticing that they were making their way up the hill. Jean-Claude did not know what to say. Certain elders had found themselves dead by his hand for what had happened to his own parents. In his own way, his life eerily paralleled her own. He did not necessarily kill the whole council, but he did ferret out those responsible, and set some things straight. Now, she had a vendetta, and knowing his own past, how could he stand in her way. On the other hand, it would shatter everything he was trying to accomplish. After some thought, he finally said, "I tell you what: I need your help, because someone like you can help on the mission that I am on. In the process, you may 'redeem' yourself in the eyes of this council, though I don't think you need 'redeeming.' Yet, if Elda is any indication of what the mindset of the Elders are, that would be one tough cookie to crack. Yet, if we defeat these renegades, we may move on to the next step. However, what I may need to do might break every bit of vampire protocol, but it may be my only choice. It certainly will hasten everything I am trying to accomplish. I just hope it is not too soon."

However, partway up the hill, a large brown streak shot past them and overhead. It made impact a small bat hanging on a branch nearby, and the blur used its size to kill the small bat. When Jean-Claude walked over, he saw that it was Bruce. "That's not one of Anjou's bats, nor is it any of the Marker's. _Zut alors_ ! (A French term of anger.) Now it may be getting worse. Everyone, to the house, now!"

Chiyuki sighed, and said, "My redemption can only happen when I can bring back those who have died for me. This is just to help smooth the load," not making eye contact with any of them. However, When Jean-Claude spoke in the frantic voice, it brought her to, and she was alert, her earlier mood all but forgotten. Boris, in the meantime, was elated! He may have lost contact with them, but now he knew more than he was seeking. He now knew who the blood cow was, and who had been responsible for the killing of his troops. However, this thing about the undead...he had heard legends, but he never thought them to be real! "This just makes it all the more better!" he exclaimed. He would have to do some research, figure out how to do this himself, and replenish his army. Then he would strike! First, he would lure the council and the elders to the house, and then, after taking the blood and becoming what he sought, he would then kill them all in favor of the new matrix. Once done, he would vamp out the worthy, and enslave the humans, where they belonged to be. The blood cow would be milked until the fount dried up. It may kill her far sooner, but at least they would have what it takes to be gods forever. In the meantime, Jean-Claude scooped up the carcass, and told Kenta, "Remember what I taught you about blood speed? Well, now's the time! Let's go!"

Chiyuki took off fast and furious, though she stayed behind Jean-Claude, if she wanted to, she could have gone a lot faster. Once up the hill, Yuriya spotted him coming, but he shoved her inside, and beckoned everyone to enter. Chiyuki looked askance at this, but Jean-Claude practically threw her in. "Kenta, get your mother upstairs and stay with her," he said, "Don't take 'no' for an answer!"

Kenta was off, and despite her protests, they headed upstairs. He then headed into the main room, and found the whole family home, but worse, Elda was awake! "Nuts!" he uttered, but he knew this was no time for arguments. Henry was frantic, asking, "What's wrong, son?"

He threw the bat on the table, and said, "Does this belong to any of the elders or the council?"

Henry examined it, smelled it, and said, "This is definitely not one of them. In fact, this is not even native to Japan."

Jean-Claude thumped the wall, and said, "_Zut alors_," again. He then said, "I'll lay you ten schillings on the pound they know everything!"

"Who?" asked Elda.

"The renegades," said Jean-Claude, "And if I am not mistaken, the one I am searching for is Boris Zumov. He is a throwback to the communist era, who tried to set up such a system amongst the vampires. Of course, none of them wanted that, and he was thrust out. He went underground, and he has tried to get his greasy claws into every council on earth. Apparently, he is sick of waiting for the vampires to 'see the light,' and is now trying to do something about it."

Elda's eyes widened, saying, "Let me tell you, you **do** have a problem!"

"If I am right," he said, "Then it is more than just the vampires that shall suffer. He will not stop until the whole world is under his thumb."

Elda was so focused on the problem; she did not even bother to pick up the scent, or even notice the new presence in the room. Jean-Claude took a chance, and said, "However, if he heard enough, it may be worse than we can imagine. Chiyuki, would you care to fill them in?"

After he said this, he took a position behind Elda, and had his hands on the back of her chair, ready to move if she even flinched. "That is Elda-san?" Chiyuki asked, pointing at her unbelievingly, but then said, "Oh yeah, no time for jokes: um...Makka-san, I am Chiyuki Tanaka, and I have recently come to Japan from the Americas after I killed my creator." she explained.

Elda jumped out of her seat and was charging at Chiyuki, when Chiyuki side stepped her and caught her before her face collided with the floor. "Makka-san" she said smiling, helping her up, "you may be surprised, but I mean no harm to you if you mean no harm to me."

"Elda, we don't time for this," said Jean-Claude, (far less cordially,) angry he had not moved fast enough. Elda, looking confused, angry, and worried, all at the same time, said, stammering, "But...but she...this can't...if this ever got out..." yet, Jean-Claude thundered, "I SAID WE DON'T HAVE TIME!"

Faster than a blink, he was standing before a now terrified Elda, now seeing his full power exposed for the first time. This was a sight Karin was not unfamiliar with, having seen it firsthand from their little "talk" some weeks earlier. He was staring Elda straight in the eye, and said, "WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM? Didn't anything I said sink in? I don't care about 'vampire etiquette' right now, because we are fighting an enemy that just does not care anyway! I have this HUGE problem with you pure bloods blaming the sins of others on the victims of circumstance! THAT GOES BEYOND 'NOT FAIR,' IT'S…JUST…PLAIN…WRONG, AND IT STOPS HERE AND NOW! Now, if you care to fight her, you are not going to like it, because she is far older, and far more powerful than you are! Worse, I will be right by her side, because, if you, (then looking at the rest,) or any vampire tries to do this, you are no better than the scum that killed my parents, or the renegades that I now fight! Furthermore, if we are divided now, we are doomed—ALL OF US!"

He now sounded like a Marine Corps drill instructor, and said, "DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"

Chiyuki chuckled and started laughing, saying, "You go, Sarge!"

He pointed to her chair, and said, "Sit...down!"

Almost in a state of shock, she walked back to her chair and sat down. Calera then said, "Do you mind telling me what the deal is, Mother Marker?"

Elda now spoke clearly and slowly, making sure that they understood what was going on. She said, "There is a reason why this is not known, because, the less that do, the less likely it can happen."

"Are you saying that we can turn humans into vampires?" said Henry.

"Yes," said Elda, "and this is more the reason than any other why we have tried to avoid the mixing of the worlds. This is a forbidden act, and I haven't heard anything since the ancient times."

She thought for a moment, and then asked, "How old are you, girl?"

Chiyuki chuckled, and said, "My name means One Thousand, or Chi, so that means most likely, I have been around for roughly a thousand years."

One could proverbially hear the collective thump of jaws hitting the floor from that statement, with eyes as wide as a Buick hubcap! Elda now realized that, though old herself, Chiyuki being as old as she was must have had possession of enough power to emolliate her within seconds if she so wished. Elda then said, "Then you must be the one of legend that I heard about in my youth. You're..."

Jean-Claude already knew what she was going to say, and said it with her, "...the one that got away."

"It seems you and I, Chiyuki, have more in common than I thought!" said Jean-Claude.

"Not once but twice," she said, sticking two fingers up.

"What I find ironic is our reactions," he said, "I got my paybacks, and you seek yours. However, Instead of wanting to be separate, or hateful, I want to see all this hate end, and our differences. I don't know if that is your wish. Yet, with you having been around for a millennium, you have to know that, despite burps here and there, the human race has advance beyond major prejudice and hate."

"Some even wish themselves to be vampires," she said chuckling.

"Yeah," said Jean-Claude, "Had to talk Yukiko out of that one..."

He stopped, thought for a second, "Yukiko..."

He then said to Karin, "Get Yukiko on the horn for me, and then give me the phone. I have a plan!"

Henry looked at him oddly, and said, "What are you planning?"

"To blow the lid off the thing!' he said, with a smile on his face, "I'm not talking about vamping, I'm talking about recruiting."

"Jean-Claude, you're certainly not suggesting...," said Calera, but Jean-Claude chimed in, and said, "Oh yes I am! The Clan shall grow! If we have to make a stand here, we may have no other chance but to rely on the humans, and two particular reformed vampire hunters to get them ready. I'll talk to them."

Ren had his misgivings, and said, "They cannot be trusted!"

Jean-Claude said, "Do you have any better suggestions?" and Ren then just sat quiet. Chiyuki smiled and waved at Ren, though she wasn't acting like the adorable airhead she was at school. The lustful side of Ren was interested, but he was not sure if pursuing something at this stage would be good. As she began to flirt with Ren, Jean-Claude was talking to Yukiko, and said, "So, you understand what I am dealing with?"

"Oh yes," she said, "I know of a bunch of boys that would definitely get involved."

"You have to get to them before some others do," he said, "Otherwise, those friends might not be friends much longer. Let me know when you gather them."

"Will do," she said, "What do you want me to tell them?"

"Tell them that they are going to get an education in vampires first hand!" he said.

With that, he hung up, called Victor, and explained the plan to him. He then turned to the rest. By this point, however, Chiyuki was nearly in Ren's lap, and Ren, for the first time, was actually acting shy around a girl's advances. He looked at Jean-Claude, and all he could do was shrug. Jean-Claude then said, "The three of us that go to school will still do so. If they have yet to vamp anyone out, then we are okay. If that has happened, then we are going to have to all remain here for our safety. However, for the night dwellers, well, I hope your back up supply of blood is ready, because you may have to be dipping into it soon."

"I have to tell the council something," said Henry, "What do I say?"

"Tell them that the Dhampir said, 'The time is at hand,' and, hopefully, they can send help," said Jean-Claude, "I don't know how imminent an attack may be, but we may want to think about putting Karin somewhere else, considering that she is their main objective."

While all this was going on, Chiyuki, not as disturbed by the goings on, was trying to either embarrass Ren, or get into his pants, whichever came first. "Ren-san? I heard you are a womanizer...is that true?" she asked.

Ren actually looked hurt by this. "Womanizer!" he said, "I have no attachment to my blood dolls! It's just convenient to put on that guise, because it makes it easier to get prey."

He was beginning to look uncomfortable, and then said, "Besides, if a guy, you know, can have a little fun in the process..." and his voice trailed off with a shrug. Chiyuki smiled too sweetly, and said, "Uh huh...I see what Jean-san was getting at!"

Ren wanted out of there. He did not know how dad would react, because, if his father thought it good, this could be permanent, and then what would he do? He thought, "How do I get out of this?"

"Yes," said a quiet voice behind them, "How do you get out of this, big brother?"

"Don't worry, you father wouldn't dare, being as it would be an unsuitable match," she said.

"You're not suggesting we fool around!" he said, genuinely red faced!

"No, I'm not, unless you are sugesting such a thing?" she said, chuckling at his blush.

"I think I...need...to change my socks...yeah," and beat a hasty retreat. If he had been Japanese, his nose would have been bleeding! When he left, Chiyuki broke out in rolling on the floor laughing. Anjou put the situation back serious by wrapping her arms around the waist of Jean-Claude, and saying, "You won't let them win, will you, big brother?"

He snatched her up in a big bear hug, and said, "They'll have to kill me first, Corn Muffin—they'll have to kill me first!"

"Hey, I am not a useless log over here, I am going to stop them if I have anything to say about it!" she said, smiling and pointing at herself, and getting her head back in the game.

"Then this is what I have in mind," said Jean-Claude, "And I am sorry, Henry, because desperate times call for desperate measures. I am going to have Yukiko recruit some of her Goth friends that Chiyuki spoke of, and I am going to meet them tonight with Victor. We are going to give them a crash course in vampire hunting, and use them as an alternate if we are incapacitated, and we cannot act. If you want to help Chiyuki, they could use the leadership. If anything happens to me and I am captured, get Karin out of there first above all, and then, if I am still alive, get me out so I can help you. If not, you know what to do."

With that, he went upstairs to get into his hunting clothes—the D'amphile was going to work that night.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter XXVI

Chiyuki picked up a rucksack from the floor, and said, "Is there a restroom around here?"

This, Jean-Claude did not expect, but he said, "You can use my room. It's on the sunward side of the house."

He then said, "Shall I wait, or will you catch up?"

"Which ever suits your needs," she said, as she dashed away with the backpack in hand. One minute later she came out ready to go, she was dressed in a red kimono shirt with some shorts under it, her hair put back. The instant she came down, Elda's face went pale. "She is the red devil!" she said pointing at Chiyuki. Chiyuki chuckled and nodded as she said, "Right on the dot."

"Could you fill me in on what you mean?" asked Jean-Claude.

"She's a killer!" said Elda, "You brought her into THIS house?"

Elda was making as if she wanted to flee, but terror griped her too tightly for her to flee. Jean-Claude brought his head back around to Chiyuki, and said, "What are you plan…" but she cut him off, saying, "If your family were to be my target, it would have been over long ago, so do not fear. Let's just say for now that we both have similar motivations for what we do. By the way, you made a good point about having a problem with the pure bloods, because of their trying to turtle up from the rest of the world. Those like you, Karin, Yuriya, others, and me have the edge over them, in that, we all have been able to change with the times, while they have become fossils. The world has passed them by. Now, the only problems that they have are not from the humans, but from themselves. They live in stark fear of our kind, because we are everything they are not. They are jealous of us, because we have that something they lack, and so deeply desire. However, instead of learning from us, they try to kill us out of fear. You are right: fear is ignorance in a panicked state. Just look at Elda."

Jean-Claude weighed her words carefully, trying to be certain where she was going. He finally asked, "Is that why you did not want Karin's blood ultimately?"

"That is about the size of it," she said, "Why would I desire to become like them?"

"Is that why you wanted to be with the Clan?" he then asked.

"Onii-chan, when I thought about it," she answered, "your crew is everything I wished that things could be, and cannot, because of them. Now they have to be taught."

"As far as the Elders go, that is not my fight," said Jean-Claude, "That is something you have to handle on your own. Yet, only one war can be fought at a time, and you are just as hip deep in this war as I am. Let's concentrate on this one first."

He then turned to the older adults, and said, "This is what happens when you turn your back on the world: it turns its back on you, and creates what you see here and now. Consider this the backlash of your handling the affairs of the human world as you have. The universe changes all the time, and if you cannot change with it, you are cast out, one way or another. Despite that, I go to fight your war for you, knowing it may never be truly appreciated. Your kind talks about honor. Well, I sure hope it believes that now. I just pray that things sink in. It's time to go."

"Not with out me," said a voice at the top of the stairs. They all looked to see Ren dressed in clothing better suited to move in freely, and he looked ready to fight. "This fight is just as much mine as it is yours," he said, "and what you have been telling me all this time has been sinking in, Jean-Claude. It IS a different world, and I am going to face it head on. It's time for a change."

He then looked to the elder ones, and said, "Please get out of this new road if you cannot lend us a hand. Let's go."

With that, the three of them headed out the door.

Yukiko managed to find about 20 young men to help her, explaining what was going on. Because of their fetish with the vampire world, they wanted a huge part of things. Victor and Wiener had already met up with the crew, and that is when Chiyuki, Ren, and Jean-Claude arrived. Some of these boys were talking about how they were going to do one thing or another, acting brave, yet, all that went by the wayside when the three showed up, and they saw Jean-Claude. The three of them had been hearing their statements rather clearly before they arrived, and Chiyuki suggested that they arrive with fangs out, just to make a point. Jean-Claude spoke and said, "That's some tough talk for a bunch of mortals."

They had always made pretense of the vampire world, living off myth, and going by what their imaginations could conjure up. However, it was another thing altogether when the real thing showed up. Chiyuki then said, "I can tell you for a certainty that none of you have any clue about our world."

Ren then said, "This is not some play time day care game, gentlemen, this is for real!"

"We are going after very powerful individuals," said Jean-Claude, "and I will not pull any punches with you: some of you shall not outlive this. Note that I did not say 'might,' I said, 'shall not!' Therefore, if you do wish to back out now, go ahead. We shall wipe your memories of tonight, and there will be no hard feelings. However, if not, then this is now the point of no return. Once you cross the line, you are not backing out. You now have knowledge of a being that, until now, had been held back from you. The first thing to tell you is, forget everything you know, because it is more than likely wrong! The only things about vampires that you shall believe is what we, your instructors, shall tell you. You are going to learn how to deal with them in such a fashion that you, as mere mortals, would have a chance against supernatural, nearly immortal, creatures. They are powerful and clever. However, forget about garlic, crosses, holy water, and such like, because none of that is going to do you any good. Still, for those that stay and fight, I would say that, if you people have felt like misfits in your lives, and have wanted to be someone, now is your chance. Remember, though, this is a grown-up game, where discipline and teamwork will be needed. You must be serious about this: one mind, one body, one soul, one goal. This is because the very existence that you know is threatened. If they win, they will vamp out the elites, (of which you are not,) and make you nothing more than cattle grazing in a field. The world, as you know it, shall end, and what shall happen, shall make the dark ages look like modern times. These are the stakes."

He then took out his saber and cut a line in the dirt, and said, "Anyone that wishes to fight, cross this line."

All 20 looked at him, not sure what to do. Already, their little fantasy world was dissolving around them, and the reality they faced looked as ugly as sin. Yukiko was the first to cross the line. Some of them then crossed, not wanting to be outdone by a girl. The others began to imagine themselves living in a world ruled by vampires, and not being a part of the hierarchy. The gravity of the situation began to sink in, and the remainder began, one by one, to cross the line. None turned away. Jean-Claude then said, "Well then, be prepared to work to before sunrise, and call off from school or you jobs, or whatever, because you will need your rest. If we get another chance, we will go at this again. If not, be prepared to fight. You can risk trouble from school, home, or the job, because, if you fail, none of that will matter anyway. Let's get to work!"

For the rest of that evening, Victor and Wiener stood front and center, giving them an education. The others felt it best to let them do most of the work, because the two of them are of only a handful of mortals that could even content with vampires. They knew how to compensate for their shortcomings when set against the vampires. The other three were acting like what the military calls an OP-4, (opposition force,) to give them a feel for going against the real thing. At first, there were a few cocky ones in the bunch, but they were soon silenced when they found out just how much they did not know about the vampire world. Reading stories and bad fan fiction were one thing, facing the real thing was another matter altogether. The three they faced represented varying levels of what they may face, and Jean-Claude loved how Chiyuki was involved. She acted as the overpowering force. Any army worth their salt will always train against overwhelming forces, because, if they can learn to fight that, then when they meet the real thing, victory is almost guaranteed. When they began to see how serious this was becoming, the young men began to approach things differently. They, in one night, were growing up in a fashion that would normally take years. During a break, and an initial after actions review, Chiyuki said, "You boys must understand something. Although it is true that vampires can create undead vampires, it is rarely done. However, we deal with an enemy that, we believe, knows the secret to how this is done, and it is quite possible that people you know will be vamped out. This is why we must ask you: are you prepared to kill your own mother, your own father, and your own schoolmates? All of that is a distinct possibility. Before you walk away now, do understand that, if that happens, you cannot consider them what I have just mentioned. Their minds will be warped, and they will not see you any longer as what you saw them to be. Because their minds will be so manipulated against you and the world, that if you kill them, believe me, you shall be doing them a favor."

With that statement, the boys sobered up even more than before. Suddenly, their little fantasy world began to fall by the wayside, and they were becoming men at this point.

About an hour and a half before sunrise, Victor gave a final after actions review. He said, "Now, understand, gentlemen, what you have received may be just enough to keep you alive, because there is much more to learn, but we only have a short time. However, mind well what you have learned, because it can save your lives. You must remember that my grandson and I have been doing this for years, and have faced many years of grueling training, as well as fighting vampires ourselves. When the time comes, we shall supply you with the weaponry that you shall need, but also remember, stealth and teamwork shall go a long way in helping to cover for inexperience."

Then Jean-Claude said, "With that, gentlemen, get some rest, and be ready to either train some more, or get ready to fight. Know this also: the best way to make it through is having the mentality that, even though some will not be returning from the fight, you are going to do all you can to insure that you will. Get some rest, and good night."

As they made their ways, he pulled Yukiko aside and said, "After school tomorrow, you need to keep Karin and Maki with you. This means you may have to get up early tomorrow afternoon to intercept her. Call it a hunch, but I think its best she remains in undisclosed locations. They cannot execute their plans unless they have her, and that might give the others the best chance to fight. In fact, to be sure, you don't lose out, make sure you try to get at least a half day of school tomorrow. I know you will be a bit tired, but I know that you understand the gravity of the situation. Explain that to them after your hockey practice."

"Speaking of which, what are you going to do?" she asked.

"Hopefully, if Karin covers for me like I hope, that won't be a problem," he said, "However, right now; there are some more important things on my mind than hockey."

Yukiko understood, and went home to get some sleep. With that, Ren asked, "Do they have a chance?"

"Do we have a choice?" asked Jean-Claude in return.

However, while all this was going on, Boris had indeed discovered the secret of vamping. He tried to do it by the legends, and he found that it was not as easy. He took in a lot of blood, but when he had the human drink, he found the human take back nearly what he had drunk, and the process was a success. He then quickly had his remaining minions go forth and start to vamp as many as they could. After that, they used their mind control abilities to both warp, and then fill the heads of the newly undead with the knowledge they needed to use their powers right away. He was building the unit he needed, and he was ready. The next step was to call some contacts. It was about a half hour before sunrise, and Boris made a phone call. "Hello Boris," said a warm voice from the other side, "I assume that this call is to let us know that all is in place?"

"Of course," said Boris, "They have no clue what is going to hit them."

"What about the mule?" he asked, "Those here are certain that he will put a stop to all of this."

"He is powerful, but he is not quite to our caliber," said Boris, "If he tries, he shall find out that all his vaunted training will be no match for what I have in store."

"What about the other day walker?" he asked.

"You mean his wife?" Boris asked, "She is nowhere as strong as he, although she is good with immolation."

"No, I mean the strange girl you saw," he answered.

"I don't know," he said, "She is a rouge factor, and I am not certain about all that."

"Then be warned," he said, "I don't know if it is she, but do know that there have been rumors that the Red Devil has been around that area."

Boris shuddered, and said, "You…You can't possibly mean…"

"I do indeed," he said, "and that could be a problem, especially for us elders. The council has ignored us for so long, and they need to learn."

"Indeed they do," said Boris, "It is so good that your people have seen the light on this."

"Can you believe they actually care about the well being of the kine?" he said, "There are even some youthful members on the council that seem to believe in that foolish mule's vision of human/vampire unity, or symbiosis at the very least."

"The only symbiosis that will work is when they are all under our feet," said Boris, "They shall pay for their lack of vision. Do they not realize that they could be gods? They have spent too much time in contact with the humans that they have lost focus on their survival."

"If all goes well here," said the Elder, "we shall have the council at the Marker's by tonight. They will all be in their coffins and then head to the Markers once they are in Tokyo. Once we have them in the house, we capture them all in a surprise attack."

"What do we do with the mules?" asked Boris.

"We kill the female outright," he said, "and then we make it nice and slow for froggy-boy. We want him to feel the wrath that he has caused everyone else."

"Excellent," he said, "Then all is set! We are going to be gods!"

"Hold the vision," said the Elder, "The fools won't know what hit them."

Yuriya was already asleep when Jean-Claude, Chiyuki, and Ren came back, and everyone else was already asleep. Yuriya woke up when Jean-Claude entered, and he said to her, very plainly, "When you wake up later, take Fumio and get her as far away from this place as possible, even out of the city if necessary. Then catch up to Kenta and tell him to stay close to Karin. His g'hul abilities may be the only chance she has. Call it a hunch, but I think trouble is already coming, and I want you safe."

"I can't leave you behind!" she said, genuinely worried.

He stroked her face and said, "You have to think about Karin and Kenta, because I am going to get Karin away from there, and you can help her. You have to understand: Karin's safety is more important than my own right now. Cover for me with the school and then get Fumio to safety."

She relented, and they both fell asleep in each other's arms. He held her close, because he was not sure if this would end up being their last night together.

The next morning, Karin woke up with some trepidation. She saw Yuriya leaving swiftly with Fumio, who had some belongings packed into an overnight sack. What surprised Yuriya was how quickly she was able to do this, not being aware of the fact that Yuriya was expert in having to leave one place or another very quickly. She did understand the danger, but she was scared for Kenta. On the other hand, she also understood spreading out targets, making it harder for someone to peg them down. It was eerie that Yukiko was only there for half a day and some of the boys called in sick. After classes were over, Yukiko insisted that Maki and Karin join her for practice that day. Yet, Yukiko was quite surprised to see Chiyuki also there for half a day, and at practice. It was after the practice that Yukiko informed them of what was going on. Chiyuki was also there, making it clear of what the danger was. Karin was worried about what was going to happen at the house, and then she said, "Anjou! We have to get Anjou out of there! Please, we have to go back for her!"

Chiyuki said, "We don't have time, because, if my nose is telling me correctly, there are many vampires moving in. Some of them are like me."

She then thought, "They must have been busy last night!"

Karin begged and pleaded for her to let her get Anjou. Finally, out of frustration, she said, "Just go with Yukiko, and I'll go get her!"

She growled in frustration, and took off. When she arrived on top of the hill, she saw many of the limos there, and she saw some of the people. She could not believe it! What was the council doing here? Worse, off, she caught the scent of some of the very Elders that she was chasing! She wanted to move right then, but then realized that it may not be the best time for it. She was contemplating what to do, when it happened! The council had entered the house, and Henry looked at them, asking, "What are you doing here?"

"I was going to ask you the same question, Henry," said the councilman, "The Elders said that there was an important meeting that was you wanted to have with everyone, and we all needed to be here."

Just as it was dawning on Henry to what was going on, every window on the lower level smashed open, and it was followed by a horde of charging undead. Before anyone could blink, they were all subdued. However, during the chaos, Chiyuki took advantage of her superior speed, entered Anjou's room, and left it with her in her arms before anyone was the wiser. Jean-Claude was not as fortunate, for, through his window, about 15 undead poured in. He was up like a shot with his saber out, and managed to behead three of them before they were able to take the saber away. He then began to fight them hand-to-hand, and he was holding his own until one of them took his own saber and stuck it into his heart! He collapsed, paralyzed, and they dragged him downstairs."

"Did you get the mule?" asked Boris.

"We're bringing him down now, master," said the undead vampire before him, "He got three of us before we subdued him, so going at him in numbers was the best thing to do."

Before long, staked, and subdued were Calera, Henry, and Ren. "Where are the rest?" asked Boris.

"The blood cow is not here, nor is her sister or grandmother."

"Blast it!" he snapped, "This is going to make it hard. It looks like they were prepared…" and he stopped as they dragged up a paralyzed Jean-Claude, and he said, "…but not well enough!"

One of the Elders came in and said, "Is the rest of the council subdued, Boris?"

"They are in the basement," said Boris.

"Good," said the Elder, and Boris said him, "Then put these three with the rest, except for him," pointing to Jean-Claude. As they did, the Elders and Boris stood before him. "You silly abomination," laughed Boris, "Now did you really think that you would escape your death sentence forever?"

Of course, in this state, Jean-Claude could not speak, which Boris both knew and understood. "You see, the whole thing was beautiful," he said, "We knew that those fools in the states would buy it when we told them you were needed here. Of course, we had never seen you or met you, so guessing who you were was a bit of a chore. Yet, we loved it when you moved right in with them! That made things easier. I have to give the American council credit for not telling us your name, but just that you would be coming. I don't know how you convinced them that your vision was viable and desirable. I guess it was the only way they would have trusted you, and let you live. We still cannot believe that they tolerated your actions to their elders, but, hey, they must have desired the power, and saw you as the means. How does it feel to be used like that? It was great when we found out that the new adoptee was you. Henry was very clever in not telling us that you were a half-breed, but we then had our suspicions when he called for a wedding certificate, and to whom you would be wed. It's just too bad that your flying fox didn't kill that bat soon enough before we were able to put all the pieces together. It was a fun chase, though, considering how well you cover your tracks. You see, some of those elders that are now under my command were just young council members when you killed the elders that ordered your death, and the deaths of your family. They slipped out and came here, knowing that they could lure you here in time. They share my vision. Now it shall come to pass. It took a long time, and it cost us some good vampires, but your time has finally come! Now it is time to fix the mistake your mother made, and make this world a better place…for us!"

One of the elders then came up, and asked, "What do we do with him?"

"Take him and hang him from one of the poles in back," said Boris, "Then drain about nine to ten pints of blood out of him, which will send him into a bloodlust. He will be too weak to resist. Then chain him to the ground as we restrain the others around him as he gets to watch them fry in the sunrise. After that, we burn him at one of the stakes back there."

"What about the others?" the elder then asked.

"Send about ten of the undead, and have them fan out," said Boris, "We'll find them, and take care of business."

"What about the rumors of the Red Devil?" asked the elder.

"Bah!" he said, "Once we have Karin, and do what we need to do, not even she shall stop us. Then, the only Red Devil in the world shall be me!"

With that, he let out an evil cackle, and they proceeded as ordered.

Jean-Claude hung there as they bled them, and rational thought was beginning to leave him. All he could think of was feeding. All he could see was red. He wanted blood, and wanted it badly. His eyes glowed, and his fangs were out. The only two things on his mind now were feeding, and killing Boris. The only other rational though that ran through his mind was that they were not killing him right away. That bought him time, because he knew that some chance was better than no chance at all. When they finally pulled the saber from him, the only words he could utter were, "Karin, Yuriya, Corn Muffin."

They then chained him to the ground after sealing his wounds, (lest he die before they wanted him to,) and stabbed the sword into the ground next to his head, hoping to use it later to finish him off.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter XXVII

Jean-Claude was trapped, and Chiyuki had no idea whether or not he was still alive. She wondered if his great dream died with him. However, she knew the foe, and she knew he understood the threat as well as she did. She even understood the greater threat considering the strange bedfellows that had united for this evil. She rushed Anjou to where Karin was hidden, and she had to have Yukiko ready the troops. Yet, she wondered what even they could do. When she arrived, she was elated to see Anjou safe and sound, but she began to feel a surge building up in her with all the sadness inside of Anjou, who was now in tears. All Anjou could say was, "They hurt big brother!"

That was it for Yukiko. She was on the phone to Victor, and he then spread the word about where to meet. Yukiko then said to Chiyuki, "Time to 'play hockey!'"

Chiyuki understood what she meant, and they began to make their way. However, Karin wanted to go, but Chiyuki balked at this. "I know that is your family," said Chiyuki, "but I don't know what you would do in the fight."

"You have to let me go with you!" she pleaded.

"Karin, you're the one they want," said Chiyuki, "You'll be waking right into their trap."

"Exactly," she said, "I just walking in is not what they want. Yet, I going on the offensive is not what they expect."

"You go on offense?" said Chiyuki, "Do you have any idea what you are facing?"

"I have been practicing my blood abilities," said Karin, "and let me tell you, I didn't know I could do half the stuff that I have learned. I just had to learn to use my blood in a different way. Besides, all the unhappiness around me is going to cause my blood to rise, and if I have to use it, I want it to be for the right thing. On top of all that, because of the blood I contain, my powers are very strong now. I can fight!"

"I'm still not sure, though…," said Chiyuki, but she was cut off by a primal yell, and a vision. At the house, as he pitched and twitched on the ground, and as the Markers and the elders were put out for execution, he slipped in and out of consciousness. In the moments that he was out of it, the nightmare returned. However, instead of his own family, he saw the Markers, and he, as a ten-year old boy, running from this group. The elder that spoke to him earlier was leading the charge. He then saw Anjou trip and fall, and the elder then picked her up. He held up a large sword, and prepared to take her head when he awoke. He uttered a moan outwardly, but inwardly, it was a shriek of, "NO, NOT AGAIN!"

He had connected with all the vampires that were dear to him, and it was a loud shriek. Karin's face went beat red, and she vamped out. She then used a force blow on Kenta to knock him to the ground, and pounced on him as if she were a cougar pinning her prey. It all happened quickly, and she began to release. She released much, but her state had not changed. She then extended a hand, began to deposit some things in Kenta's head, mainly on how to best use his abilities, and gave him strict orders to protect Anjou and Maki while she was away. She then turned her head to Chiyuki and said, "Let's go—Jean-Claude needs us!"

At this, Chiyuki stopped her arguments. Apparently, Karin had released, but her blood was churning one step behind her releasing. Therefore, she was still empowered. With that, they went.

The girls had only gone three blocks when they came across Yukiko. She was standing there with a sword that Victor gave her the night before, and as pale as a sheet. She was unhurt, but she was still covered in blood by what lay before her. An undead had tried to ambush her, and somehow, instinct took over, and she managed to take its head off. She was more frightened on how quickly she was able to react and do what she did than by the undead jumping out at her. The girls had to calm her down quickly. "I…don't…believe," she said, "It…happened…so…fast! How…am…I…alive?" said Yukiko, breathing heavily.

"It's okay," said Chiyuki, "You did well."

Chiyuki then looked at Karin, and said, "Keep your eyes open, they're looking to counterattack."

Karin nodded as they went their way, and did all they could to snap Yukiko out of it so she could fight. As they made their way, Chiyuki was having an epiphany, realizing that all their work the night before may have been cut in half, now recalling what Karin had just done with Kenta. She would have to present this to the boys when she got there. However, as they did, four more undead came out of the woodwork and tried to ambush them. An instant before they struck, however, Chiyuki already detected them, and then inserted into the head of Yukiko a perfected rendition of what she had learned the night before, and filled her head with all the knowledge necessary to allow a human successfully to fight a vampire. Karin's senses were also heightened in this state, and she was already taking a defensive stance. Yukiko saw their actions and followed suit right on time. She had slashed one and beheaded another. Karin used a hard force push to ram one into a wall, and she then set it on fire. Chiyuki, on the other hand, looked like a giant professional wrestler, and was spinning two of them around like rag dolls. Once they hit a brick wall, she cast forth a fireball, and they were burned up. They finally caught up with the team, and she was surprised to see Elda standing by Victor's side, with an umbrella in her hands, of all things! "It's about time you got here," snapped Elda to Chiyuki, "We've got work to do!"

Chiyuki was taken back by this, considering how they had first met. As if she were reading her mind, she said to Chiyuki, "Like Jean-Claude said, 'We don't have time for squabbling.'"

She then looked, and said, "What is she doing here?" pointing to Karin, "And how did she get like this?"

"It's time to fight, grandmamma!" hissed Karin.

Elda grinned broadly, and said, "Yep, you got grand mamma's blood in you!"

Chiyuki then said, "There is something that we need to do, and I kick myself for not thinking of this last night. Boys, open your minds to me."

They closed their eyes and began to clear their thoughts. At this, Chiyuki extended a hand, and they all began to glow a yellow color. At this point, she was filling their minds with the minutest details and skills that they would need to fight even the toughest vampires as a mortal. She knew this was a risk, because, if they decided to turncoat, they could have a problem. However, just having to rely on humans was a risk to begin with. It seems that they were on defense on the power play, and if they survived that, they would have to pull the keeper to have a chance to win the game. Karin went up to Wiener, who was familiar with her appearance in this state of mind, and he stiffened, not knowing what to expect next. However, all she hissed was "Get me a sword!"

Quickly, Wiener came back with a Toledo Salamanca swept hilted broadsword, and said, "It's the best blade we have. We were going to give it to Jean-Claude in case he lost his saber, but you're welcome to it."

She smiled broadly, fangs exposed. "So, what's the plan?" asked Victor.

"We have to get up the hill unseen," said Chiyuki, "What would be the least guarded area?"

Elda thought for a moment, and wondered which approach would be best. However, Karin, who, as a child, had played many games on that hill with Anjou, and she knew every inch of it. She remembered she had to pull Anjou up from a steep part that was almost a cliff, and she had never told anyone of it, lest she get in trouble. It sat right over a temple that Fumio and Kenta had to hide in while trying to avoid the eyes of a private detective sent by Kenta's grandmother to find them. She said, "Grandmamma, the temple is the best approach."

She thought for a moment, because it was an almost impossible approach. However, Chiyuki knew well of North American history, and knew of the French and Indian War, when the British captured Quebec, finding the French with their trousers down. They achieved this partly by climbing a nearly impossible pass on the cliff face southwest of the city, and caught the French flat footed. They only had one guard on duty there, and the English duped him into thinking the men that marched by in the darkness were French. If they played their cards right, this would be the approach to take. "Then we have our plan," said Chiyuki, "Now, let's get to it!"

Kenta remained at Maki's place, now very energized, and with his head filled with both Chiyuki's encouragement, and Karin's spirit speaking with him in his mind. Anjou was staying at the center of the room, and Kenta followed suit. Maki sighed, and said, "I guess all we can do is wait," hoping that all was going well with the others. Anjou looked her and said, "You should be sitting here."

"Yeah," she said, "I was wondering why you are…" and her statement was cut off as glass in the window behind her shattered, and an undead entered, swiftly grabbing her by the neck. She found it hard to breath, and the undead cared little that this was so. He looked at Anjou, and said, "I'll deal with you shortly, after I take care of your mortal friends."

He then began to eye Maki, who was trembling like a leaf, and he smiled, licking her neck. "Mmm…you're a tasty one, and pretty too!"

He looked at the others, and demanded, "Where is the blood cow!"

Anjou just stared blankly and said, "She is in the last place where you would think her to be."

"What is that supposed to mean!" he thundered, "No matter, I'll have that information out of you soon. However…"

He trailed off, looked at Maki again, and said, "How would you like to live forever?"

He then opened his mouth, and extended his fangs. Before he could strike, he found, in the blink of an eye, Kenta behind him, hands on his head, holding it back. He hissed, "You're her g'hul!" and then he said, "Where is she," having a one-track mind. The thought of this thing vamping Maki, hurting Anjou, and doing something bad to Karin was too much for Kenta, and he yelled as he turned the head of the undead completely around. The thing released Maki, and Kenta slammed him on a shard of the window glass, through its heart. It broke off and remained there. He then pushed out the undead, and remembered about the fire that Jean-Claude had taught him. Chiyuki provided him with the control, and a fireball engulfed the body. However, with his rage, the body disintegrated on impact with the street. Kenta then turned to Maki, who immediately embraced him, bawling her eyes out, and shaking as if it were 30 below zero in the room. All he could do was hold her tight, and rock her back and forth. Anjou saw this, and said, "Stay here and protect her, for I must go."

"Where are you going?" asked Kenta, confused.

"I'm going to do what they least expect," she said, "because I owe much to my big brother, and this will end tonight."

She then turned on her heel, and left.

Meanwhile, the Clan was heading to the hill, going the long way to avoid detection, and hoping maybe to draw out some more foot soldiers, the philosophy being that the more they could take out before getting there, then the less they would have to deal with when they arrived. As was hoped, nine undead emerged, and attempted to ambush the Clan. However, they had no clue that they were about to impact a buzz saw. Before they could act, they found themselves filled with steel and lead, and then found their heads off their bodies. They were quickly piled up in a vacant lot and burned, they knowing that they would be nothing by dust by the time they were discovered. From there, they made their way to the temple.

By the time they got there, it was about two in the morning, and they were thankful that, due to the November time period, that sunrise would not be coming for another four hours, so they had time. While they were starting their climb, Chiyuki reached out to Jean-Claude to see how he was doing. She was shocked at his state. He had lost much in the way of blood, and he was becoming less and less rational as his hunger for blood grew stronger and stronger. They were trying to turn him into an animal before they killed him, more than likely to humiliate him, and to show that their killing of him was justified. The Markers and the council were laid out to roast in the sun, all staked to keep them docile. Chiyuki's rage was boiling over. Up on that hill sat someone who did not immediately judge her, took her for whom she was, and maybe—just maybe—gave her a group of people that she could be with, that could give her some happiness, even for a short time. He was also the key, possibly, to her remaining at peace, and bringing in a new world of understanding. She then swore an oath, saying, "Jean-Claude D'Amphile, you shall not die! If I must die to insure you live, I know you will gain my vengeance for me!"

She knew that she could be up there in a flash, and even have freed the council just as fast. However, what would she do with Jean-Claude? He needed blood, and badly. Since his love was for evil blood, no matter whom it came from, she hoped that they could have the job done as to where he could then feast. Yet, she realized that acting hastily would cost more lives of these special people who were risking everything for the sake of a creature that their brothers would otherwise despise. Jean-Claude had said that some of them would not be returning, but if she had her way, none was going to die, even if that meant vamping them out, (something that she knew many of them would not have minded anyway.)

The going was slow and tedious. It was not quite a cliff, but it was incredibly steep. They had to use any outcroppings for grips, and any trees or branches that were growing to pull themselves up. Victor, though still fit for his age, was looking every bit of his years. Chiyuki and Elda wanted badly to fly up and at least scope out the scene, but they could not risk detection. One thing was certain—they did not expect this approach, for they only had one lookout on the top. They had to subdue him, spread out, and then move in. However, as they approached the top, the one vampire there began to raise his nose to the wind, and began to become more alert. He went to the edge, and saw the impending attack approach. Yet, before he could sound an alarm, and just as he opened his mouth, he suddenly found a gag in his mouth tied tight. In the next instant, the Clan watched in amazement as he went flying down the hill and through the roof of the abandoned temple. They sat still for a moment or two, hoping the sound of the crash did not alert anyone. Elda flew over to the hole, and found the vampire impaled on a plank, so she knew that he was out of the fight. At the same moment, the lead elements crested the top to find Anjou standing there. She used that skill of sneaking up she had developed, gagged the man, and used a force push to cast him off the hill. Chiyuki and Elda came up, and Anjou said, "What kept you, grandmamma?"

Elda hugged her, and then said, "Hide in the new house, because it is about to get bad here."

Anjou nodded and did as she was told. They went into some of the brush and huddled up, discussing the plan. Victor licked his forefinger and stuck it into the air. He then said, "Upwind is that way. Keep the breeze from blowing your scent to them, or you will not make it to the house. Spread out, and remember what you have been taught. Take them out stealthily and quietly. Go!"

They then began to move out, using their dark clothes, and the cover of darkness to move in.

Meanwhile, Elda, Chiyuki, and a well blooded up, but controlled, Karin scoped out the scene behind the house where the council was. There were about four undead keeping their watch. Chiyuki then said to the other two, "Make it quick, and keep it quiet. We do not want to alert Boris or the elders, or else we will have a bigger battle than we want."

Elda's umbrella began to glow faintly as it was being charged with a supernatural force. Chiyuki, because of her speed, was able to subdue two of them before Elda and Karin could move in. When Chiyuki did turn around, she watched as the other two undead dropped to the ground headless. Then Karin began to hiss, "So…much…unhappiness…I…must…release!"

She then saw in the center a chained up Jean-Claude, who had been reduced to nothing but a raving animal by this point. She pointed, and Elda said, "He needs blood, badly, before he completely loses his mind."

"Blood?" said Karin, "Is that all?"

With that, she swiftly moved in, and stood over Jean-Claude, who saw her, and suddenly felt a calm come over him. A smile came over Karin as she crouched down and crawled on top of him like a cat. She sniffed him a time or two, and then prepared to bite. Just before she did, some of his rationality crept in, and he said, "Make me whole, child!"

Yet, just as she sunk in her fangs, Boris came out to see what was happening. Jean-Claude's eyes opened up, and glowed a bright yellow. "NO," he said, "DON'T WASTE THAT BLOOD ON HIM!"

That got the attention of everyone else on the hill. However, before they could move in, the Clan struck! Yet, Boris was on the move. Knowing that he could be robbed of his opportunity, he forewent the ceremony he intended, and put all the needed items in his mouth to empower him. He then leapt over everyone and went right to Karin. She had not released all her excess blood yet, but she had given him enough. While Jean-Claude began to feel a new source of energy surge through his veins, Boris was sinking his own fangs into Karin. She screamed, and her eyes went wide as he tried to feed with relish. He was able to drink about five or six mouthfuls before Jean-Claude snapped his chains, stood to his feet, and roared like a lion that had just make a kill. His eyes then were fixed on Boris, and in a flash, he had clotheslined him off Karin. He went back about ten feet, but he stood up, defiant as ever. "Too late, you fools!" he thundered, "The blood and chemicals are already taking an effect on me, I am now unstoppable!"

However, Karin was now livid, and her blood rose anew, this time for the purpose of extracting a cancer. She wheeled around, her eyes glowing a bright purple, brandishing the sizeable broadsword as if it were a fencing foil. She hissed loudly, and leapt at Boris. This, he did not expect. Yet, he felt confident that he could subdue her, now that he had achieved his dream. He pulled a sword himself and started to defend himself. Karin hissed, "You wanted me? HERE I AM!"

She began to waylay into him with a speed she had never had before. Karin's blood did give him energy, in that; her blood was unlike any other creature's blood. Sadly, this gave him a false sense of security, and made Karin something more powerful than anyone thought she could be. Though Boris had this charge, he was having everything he could do to keep her at bay. He could not believe it at first, but then he remembered that the same blood that now made him a god was what empowered her. Jean-Claude wanted to go help her, but he had his own problems. However, all he could see was red, in a sense, and was, like Karin, about to go postal. As the Clan began to impact the remaining undead, Jean-Claude pounced on the approaching elder. Before the elder could attack, he took his saber and almost cut him in two. The then spun him around, and sunk in his fangs to finish that from which Karin was prevented. Once he had his feed, he took of the elder's head.

By this point, Elda and Chiyuki entered the house and began to take out elders one by one. Chiyuki grew in satisfaction as moments passed. Her friends were finally being avenged, and with the aid of the very creatures they had hoped to enslave. Jean-Claude was in the house not moments later, after he had waded his way through the fight going on around him. However, instead of finding a bunch of elders, he found decapitated elders all over the place. Chiyuki had been at work. Yet, he heard a voice, saying, "You think you have won abomination? Guess again! I am going to do what should have been done long ago!"

Jean-Claude wheeled around to see the one elder that had a connection back to his past. He was holding a Japanese blade in his hand, and he then said, "If you had not been here, none of this would be happening."

Jean-Claude moved in faster than he expected, and the elder had all he could do to parry the blow. "Wrong!" growled Jean-Claude, "What you want would have caused the extinction of the vampire, you fool!"

The sound of their blades clashing echoed throughout the house. Of course, they were both a blur of body and steel to the human eye, but for them, it was normal. "You don't get it, do you!" said the elder, "The worlds are incompatible. You are a mistake, and you need to be eliminated!"

He tried for a killing sweep, but Jean-Claude was equal to the move, ducking down, and then performing a leg sweep. He rolled to the side and took his feet hoping to end it, but the elder kipped up, and they continued the duel. Jean-Claude said, "You are so wrong! The only reason why you do not want unification and symbiosis is just that—you just do not want it! It's not care for our kind; it is care for power that you really feel. Humans kept separate are more controllable. If you had your way, you would keep them on farms, and keep them as mute animal beasts, with you in power. No wonder you jumped on Boris' offer! You have no desire for freedom, only power. Would it stop with just humans? How many vampires would die to further your chokehold on the world? Are you really comfortable sharing power with Boris?"

The fight continued from room to room, making its way to the foyer. Jean-Claude was beginning to power up as he went, feeling like something divine was giving him more than he possessed. He then said, "The god thing is a myth! It is all a lie—a legend! You would have caused the witch-hunt on vampires you seek to prevent. Unity and freedom for all humanoids are the vampire's only hope! Would you rob that from us? That happens over my dead body."

He began to force the elder to the front door, and said, "I am not a mistake—this was purposed by the Almighty Himself. I am a walking, living indication of his will! WE ALL SHALL BE AS ONE!"

With that, he gave a swift sidekick to his surprised and now overpowered opponent. He never thought a half-breed could possess such strength, but he had no idea how the divine could empower one of His vessels. He flew through the door and landed on the ground where that part of the fight was closing up. After Chiyuki had wiped the walls with the other elders, she went out to aid the Clan, to ensure that none of them died as she had promised. She was surprised to see this last elder fly to the ground before her, and to see Jean-Claude follow up behind. He flew through the air like a great bat, but unfortunately, the elder was able to put his feet up, and monkey-flip him over on the ground. In the process of the hard landing, Jean-Claude pierced his own eye with the saber. He screamed in pain as the elder staggered to his feet. However, he was to see an ominous sight. It was not just that the Red Devil was standing before him, but Yuriya was also there. She had not fled, but she came back, because she would rather fight and die by her husband than to have to live in fear again. Jean-Claude had given her the first sense of normalcy that she ever had in her life, and she would rather be damned to Hell than to go back to living in fear again. She was now more enraged seeing what had happened to Jean-Claude, both here, and out back. With every bit of rage she could muster, she raised her hand and said, "For my husband!" as a fireball engulfed the elder. Chiyuki, not to be outdone, summoned as much of a static charge from the ground as she could, and directed it at the elder, shouting, "For my friends!"

Jean-Claude, after extracting the saber, extended his hands, and aimed with his one good eye, casting his own fireball, saying, "For my mother, father, grandfather, and all sentient creatures!"

With a scream of pure horror, he went into a death throe. Jean-Claude said to him, right before the elder exploded, "Get used to this, for this is now your eternity, ABOMINATION!"

He exploded, and it knocked the three of them to the ground. The flame quickly dissipated, and the last of the elders, finally, suffered the wicked price for their sin. Jean-Claude was putting a swath of cloth over the wound, and Yuriya was all crying. He said, "Don't worry, I can grow it back, I just…" and then remembered, "KARIN!"

While all this had been going on, Karin was giving Boris all he could handle. What he could not understand was why he was having all this trouble. Before long, he was becoming exhausted, and Karin was beginning to cut him up. All the while, she hissed, "How dare you try to hurt my father, my mother, Anjou, even Kenta! You shall pay for your evil. YOU ARE NO GOD!"

However, Karin was beginning to burn through her excess blood, and she now was losing her steam. Boris saw this, and said, "Apparently, I did things wrong. Maybe I do need the ceremony. No matter—I'll just stick this in your heart and subdue you. You silly girl: did you really think…"

Before he could thrust his sword forward, he found his arm restrained, and then ripped out of its socket by Jean-Claude. He had come around just in time to see Karin beginning to tire, and he knew he had to get in there. Just as he was doing this, Karin saw her chance and thrust the Toledo Salamanca into his heart all the way up to the hilt. She was now back to normal, despite still having her fangs extended, and she said, as she stared dead into his eyes, "My life span will be shortened anyway because of what I am. I may not make it past two hundred years; I may not make it past fifty! Your dealings would have hastened my death! You deserve worse than beheading!"

"I agree," said a voice from behind. It was the voice of eldest member of the council that was left, who had no part in anything of Jean-Claude or Chiyuki's situations, nor had any part with Boris. The Clan busied themselves with freeing the council and the Markers. The lead man looked at Karin, and said, "Since he intended you the most torture and harm, what do you suggest?"

Karin never felt more ruthless, and more like a vampire than she did at that moment, and she said, "Keep the sword in him, and suspend him from the very pole on which he intended to kill my father, and let him fry!"

"So be it!" he said, as they dragged away Boris. He could not speak, but there was the look of pleading in his eyes, begging Karin for mercy. Yet, all she said was, "It's just like you said, brother, it's only when a sinner sees the full price of sin come to fruition do they then want mercy. Boris, why did you not repent when you had the chance? To me, you are already dead, and I cease to acknowledge your existence."

She turned her back, and headed to the front of the house. Jean-Claude left the parting shot, by saying, "Rot in Hell, you reprobate antichrist!"

Jean-Claude then said, "Let's board up all the windows for now, and have everyone sleep in the house for the day. I am glad it is Saturday, so there will be few questions for the humans. Then, tomorrow night, everyone here is to be involved in a council meeting. I have something to say."

"Son," he said, "After what you, Karin, and your friends have done for all vampires around the world, this is the least of what we owe all of you!"

After they had made Boris Zumov quite fast on the pole, only then did they remove the sword. He then began to rant in vain, screaming, "You fools—you have caused our demise! You have included humans—these lower creatures! You shall all pay for your lack of vision!"

Despite all that, Anjou, (who had emerged once things had been resolved,) came up, and gave him her classic death stare, holding Boogie-kun front and center. He stopped his rant to look down and see her enraged face. There was so much she wanted to say, but did not know how to get it all out before the sunrise. He had endangered everything she held dear, and now pleaded for mercy, and ranted on delusional. Her brow furrowed, she frowned angrily, and did what she felt would punctuate everything. All her and Jean-Claude's bats covered him, and covered him in guano, as she spit right in his face to punctuate the moment. She then turned on her heel, snapped her fingers as the bats scattered, and she left him to fry with the rest of the carcasses in the rising sun.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter XXVIII

One hour before sunrise, everyone went into the house to sleep. It would not be the most comfortable conditions, but it was better than being dead. Before everyone went off to rest and recuperate, Jean-Claude asked Anjou to send bats to every vampire in Japan to come to Tokyo for an emergency meeting of the council. He wanted as many vampires to come and see the aftermath as he could, and to spread the message loud and clear. With that, Jean-Claude and his wife went to their room. His left eye socket was very sore, so he took some heavy aspirin and started to shift blood to that area to begin regrowing the eye. Yuriya began to fashion an eye patch for him until it did grow. After this, they collapsed into each other's arms and slept soundly.

The next evening approached, and everyone awoke. The humans went for food, but Jean-Claude told them all to be back as soon as possible. While this was going on, a makeshift council table was being set up on the back porch, and the vampires began to arrive. Jean-Claude asked for everything to remain as it had been left before they all slept, and he began to prepare in his mind what he wanted to say. However, when the Clan started to return, they were being told to go home: this was not their business. Jean-Claude heard this and immediately went to the front, and said, "Um…just what do you think you're doing?"

"I'm sorry, this is vampire business," said the man up front.

"Excuse me!" said Jean-Claude, very frustrated, "You owe them quite a bit!"

"I am sorry," he said, "but you know the rules…"

Jean-Claude put on his game face, picked him up with one hand, and put his saber to the throat of that man with the other, and said, growling, "The rules say, 'no,' but this saber, and my missing eye say, 'yes!' If you don't want to join the fallen out there, you'd better let them pass, NOW!"

"When the new high chief hears about this…" but he was cut off by that very man, who said, "When he hears about this, he is going to be greatly angered by the kind of arrogance that cause this mess in the first place! I should have him take your head now! LET THEM PASS, IDIOT!"

With that, the humans made their way around the house to sit with the other non-council members on the hill, just below the porch. However, when the vampires saw this, they all seemed to crowd together, not mixing with the group. Soon, Maki arrived with Kenta and Fumio, and Maki brought her karaoke machine to act as an amplifier, because what Jean-Claude wanted to say he wanted all to hear. Jean-Claude came out, saw the seating, and shook his head. Yuriya gave him a quick squeeze, and said, "Patience, your turn to speak shall come soon."

The new high chief of the council called the meeting to order, and said, "This is an emergency meeting, but I am curious as to why all you vampires are here?"

"I called them in," said Jean-Claude, "Because I want every vampire in Japan to hear what I have to say."

The high chief then said, "Okay, the chair recognizes Jean-Claude Makka," and Jean-Claude took center stage. He took the microphone and began to speak: "What I have to say is very important, because what I need to deal with is being reflected at the way I see all of you seated here tonight. These humans tried to sit with you, but you shied away from them. You are probably wondering what they are doing here, and they are here because, without them, we would not be talking right now. They, for no other reason than that they actually care that you exist, they put their own lives on the line. I did not even expect some of them to live, but they fought the foe valiantly without the loss of a life. I look at this, and I ask, 'Is this how you show your gratefulness?'

Many of you may not be aware of what I am, but I am something that, in the past, you would have killed as soon as you knew of its existence. I am a Dhampir, d'amphile, or however you want to say it. Indeed, they tried to kill me, and some of those that wanted me dead were amongst the enemy that we battled last night. I am the one that got away!"

There were mumblings and murmurings throughout the vampires, not sure what to make of this. Although the laws still called for his elimination to a certain extent, without him, would they have had a chance? He then continued, "However, because of my upbringing, I have no ability to hate in return for the hate of those that do not understand, or have isolated themselves from the world to the point where they refuse to change where change is needed. Some may think that no change is needed, and that could not be further from the truth. I am sorry, but there is only so long we can remain hidden in these advancing times. Besides this, there is the foolish notion that humans cannot change, and they would always hate us. Yet, because I have lived in the human world, as well as the vampire, I must ask, which of the two groups has refused to change? It seems to me that the only stubborn beings are the vampires. No, humans are not perfect, but can we say that we are? It is because of the advancing times, it was inevitable that unions that created me, my wife, and at least a couple of others that may be out there, were to happen. I know the history: things like this caused vampires to be exposed, and then the witch-hunts began. However, this is not the case anymore. Mankind now lives in a world where they are taught to think for themselves, and not as some king or dictator tells them to think. As a result, humans have gone through the work of making themselves educated. Mankind used to fear the world around them, because of ignorance. With ignorance, you shall always have fear. Yet, because of men like Descartes, Kant, Rousseau, Einstein, and other great thinkers, they have taught that fear ends with education. Tonight, sitting amongst us, are humans that have been educated, have had myths undone, fears expunged, and they have learned to accept us, love us, and yes, even be willing to bleed and die by our sides. This group—my family, my Clan—is proof that the two worlds can mix. We can overcome differences. It is only those that fear, that choose to remain ignorant, that bring the most harm to us, and to them, for they must suffer for our petty squabbles. I would like some of them to speak before I continue."

With that, he turned the mike over to Kenta. He stepped up, and said, "I may be a human, but I know what it means to be on the run, and to be hunted. I know what it feels like to be hated for your very existence, and it hurts even more when it was your own flesh and blood! My mother, until recently, has always had to stay on the run, and on the move. We have always been poor, and we have had times where we wondered from where the next meal would come. Having a stable home was always foreign to me. All that changed when I met Karin—the one you call the _pistis sophia_. I found her once after she had had a massive nosebleed, and she lay there, half-conscious, blood everywhere, and helpless. The way some of you think about us humans, you would have thought that I would have just exposed her, or that I would not have even cared. She asked me to stay silent, so I took it upon myself to clean up the mess, clean her up, and get her home. A few days later, I found out the truth. Yet, even though I found out that she was a vampire, it did not frighten me, because I could see the fear in her eyes. Moreover, when she said that she might lose her home and everything over this, I explained to her that I could not do that to her. For anyone—ANYONE—to have to lose their home when they had done nothing wrong was cruel and evil. Besides, she was kind to me, and didn't push me away as others had done. I could not hurt her! The Makkas went out on a limb and asked me to look after her in the daytime, exposing everything to me. However, they were surprised when I did not see them as monsters. In fact, I saw a loving family. They were a bit disjoined at the time, but they were something I wished I had had, and never did. How could I rob that from Karin? It was then I learned to love them, and all of you, because, besides a few living and feeding habits, you were no different from me. You laugh, you cry, have families, have individual points of view and opinions—in short, you may be vampires, but you are no less human than I. All Jean-Claude, Yuriya, and Karin have done for me is make me love you more. What's more, I love Karin dearly, and no matter what anyone says, she and I will be husband and wife one day!"

There were even louder a murmuring amongst the crowd, and Henry was beginning to feel the father instinct growing. However, Calera came down on his head with a slipper, and said, "Quiet, Henry, you knew that was coming!"

After some laughter, Kenta then said, "I know that, because she is a blood giver, she may not have the same amount of life as you, and she may not have a full life as far as a human goes. We don't know how long she has, but then again, who really knows how much time any of us has. The bottom line to that is, no matter what, we are going to enjoy what we have. Even if our children are dhampirs, it does not matter to us, because we shall love them as much as any parent loves a child. All we ask is to be left in peace, because that is what we shall do for you. The hate and misunderstanding has to stop!"

Fumio then wanted to speak, and she was then given the mike. She then said, "I have only recently found out about things, and I was a bit frightened. However, thanks to little Anjou and Karin, they took my fear away. I found that you are not monsters, and that you were some of the best friends I ever had. You even seemed to love me more than most humans would have. I have been tending to things in the day, because I feel it is the least of what I could do for all of you. There was danger, but, instead of leaving me exposed, you took me in. After having seen the danger, how could I ever repay you for your kindness? To see you together, I have to ask, why we should be apart: there is so much we could do for each other."

Maki wanted a turn, and the council was surprised how much the humans wanted to speak, and how many of them were coming to the vampire's defense. Maki then said, "I have been friends with Karin for years, and if I had not been told, I would never had known that vampires existed. Yet, because we had been friends for so long, when I did find out, I had to ask myself, 'Why should I be scared now? If they had meant to hurt me, they would have done so by now.'

After I got to know more of you, I began to realize that there was much to love about you. Just as much as I could not turn away Karin, I could never turn you away. The only way I could say something about you is if one of you wronged me, and that would earn my ire, not because you were a vampire, but you were an individual that had wronged me. That would be no different from a human doing the same thing. In fact, I think you guys are pretty…what was the word, Jean-Claude…ah, yes—cool!"

Chiyuki wanted a shot at the mike, and there was some trepidation, due to her reputation. However, she said, "I would never want to see a human become as I, and put up with a millennium of what I have seen. However, the only ones I wanted vengeance from have been extracted. However, my fear is that there are those that would hate me still, despite. It would want to make me go into hiding again, despite all the kindness and help that Jean-Claude-san has shown. I found it amazing that he had already began to gather a posse that included humans and vampires as peers. That blew my mind! Yet, for the first time, I felt welcome with someone. I had to fight, because, now that I have that, I would rather die trying to keep it than to lose it. The Clan is all I have now, and I would rather be damned to Hell than to lose them!"

The Clan cheered and applauded that, and one of the boys in the audience said, "That's the way to tell 'em, Chiyuki! We love you!"

The chairman began to gavel things back into order, and asked if she had more to say. She then said, "The two worlds can have symbiosis. Furthermore, though I would not encourage this, I believe that, if human wishes to cross over, don't you think that is a great compliment to us. Think about that for a moment: a human wants to give up everything in the life he or she knows, and wants to become one of us! Oddly enough, there are humans that do wish this! You would stop this. Talk about trusting vampires to do them well! That is exactly what I see here! It is a different world, and it is high time that some of you proverbially come and join us in the sunlight. Jean-Claude, I believe your Bible would say that the day is far spent, and that the night is at hand, and we should labor while we still have light, correct?"

He nodded at this, and then Elda wanted the floor. Once recognized, she said, "I used to be like you, and I followed the rules as much as one could. However, some of our rules have not outlived the times. Though we are powerful, I have come to learn that, being stubborn and stagnate only gains the battle we saw last night. Some thought the humans could not change, as I once did. However, I have had an education, thanks to the…thanks to Jean-Claude. The only being that has not changed is we, and that is only because of our arrogance in thinking ourselves superior to humans. Personally, I think the sterilization of the vampire is nature's paybacks for us being as pompous as we have been. It is like nature said, 'If you don't want to change with me, I shall leave you behind, and cause you to disappear like the dinosaur.'

However, nature gave us my granddaughter to give us one last chance at mercy. If we are not greedy with her, and we are willing to join the world we have ignored, she can help us all, and still live a long, happy life. I now, at long last, understand what it was that James Marker saw in you humans. Now I share his vision, as well as the vision of my grandson. We must be one! To my granddaughter I say, have many great grandchildren. Whatever they end up being, I shall love them dearly, and I shall help them learn how to be in this world, and how to love most of all!"

The humans were now all on their feet applauding them, and now some of the younger vampires were starting to move over, mix with them, and applaud as well. Along with this came introductions and handshakes. However, Jean-Claude wanted the mike one more time, and asked for silence. Once things had settled down, he said, "Karin, do you want to say something before I finish my statement?"

She came up and then began to speak: "Everybody, you need to know something very important. Even before Jean-Claude came, if it were not for a human—Kenta—I would be dead right now. I once had a nosebleed so bad it almost killed me. If he had not been there to help, the vampire would have gone extinct. Every time we have brought a human into our world the right way, all I have seen is understanding and warmth. How can we say that they are evil? Just because some of their ancestors did us wrong, it does not mean that they had to be the same way. This can work. Everyone has kind of stolen my thunder, so there is not much more for me to say. I would say that, I have more of a chance at living long in these conditions than I had any other way. I want to help all of you, but I don't want to be bled dry in a month, nor do I want to be in a situation where I lose it all, and I have no one anywhere to help me. This way, I always have friends, and there is little chance for danger. I have blood cycles once a month, and if it stays that way, I have a chance at life. If I am always facing unhappiness, you all stand a chance of losing me. Times have changed, and we must change."

Jean-Claude came back and said, "Do you now get it? Is it sinking in? Be you human, vampire, undead, Dhampir, whatever you are, we are individual. As individuals, we must all understand that each and every one of us, no matter the labels we wear, are the sum total of every decision we have ever made. We are what we are, because we choose to be that way! There is no other way of looking at it. If we choose to fear, we are afraid. If we choose to be open, we shall have friends. We are as happy as we want to be, as sad as we want to be, as rich or poor as we want to be: we are the sum total of our choices. If we choose to isolate ourselves from the rest of the world, we need to be prepared to suffer the consequences. I can tell you that we have seen some of those consequences, and they are not good at all! Most of all, the true meaning of the word 'love' has to be known to all. It is a verb—and action word—and without it, none of us stands a chance at happiness or survival, no matter who we are! Thus, what I propose is this: since we cannot yet come right out and expose ourselves as vampires, we can, person by person, slowly, carefully, and selectively bring the humans into our fold. We can start with this bunch. Furthermore, if there are any humans that wish to join the vampire, a screening process is needed, with a full education of what becoming a vampire entails, the risks involved, to see who would be fit for such a transformation. In other words, they would have to know the risks, and show that this is something that would benefit both that one and us. This way, we can survive. If a vampire and human wish to wed, this also should not be prevented, because this world would not reject it now. They must be made aware of the children they could have, and the risk they take by going that route. If they understand, and are still able to bear, it should be allowed, to prevent what it was that happened to me. It is either this, or we go the course we have been, and face our extinction, which is exactly the course we are following. It's up to you!"

The headman called for a thirty-minute recess, and said that an open referendum would be presented to the vampires present on those proposals. He apologized to the humans for not having them vote, because the matter truly did involve the course that the vampires had to take, and it was nothing personal. The humans understood, and let it go. With that, the recess began.

In the interim, many of the young vampires were beginning to meet and kibitz with the humans present, and more and more of the vampires were coming over. As the time was passing, camaraderie was building and differences were melting away. Soon, it did not even seem that there was even a difference anymore. The only ones not coming over was a handful of vampires that just refused to get it, and stayed stubborn. Soon, the council came forth with ballots, and the voting began. By the time it was done and counted, 95% of the vampires approved all the proposals, and that was it. The chairman then said, "Thus it is done, on this day, the laws of the vampires are as such. For those that have not approved, this is the law of the land, like it or not. We shall not tolerate any interference from you or any other council outside of Japan against our actions. If actions are taken against any here—human, vampire, or otherwise—know now that it is an instant death sentence. We want peace, and we shall tolerate no further actions like those that we have seen these past two days. There will be eventual symbiosis, and we shall be the example for the rest of the world. Furthermore, this shall go forth to all the councils with this statement: we are not answerable to any council for our choices, and any act against us for this shall be considered an act of war, and it shall be treated as such. They must make their own choices; we have made ours. So let it be written, so let it be done!"

The gavel came down and there was much for rejoicing. There were about seven or eight who protested this, and they declared themselves separate. It was then declared that they then live separate; expect no aid from the council, unless they were willing to submit to the new laws. If not, they were to leave Japan immediately, or suffer the consequences for resistance. Moreover, they were told that they would now be watched very carefully, for if they even traveled one millimeter towards rebellion, they were as good as dead.

Once they left, they began to celebrate. Some of the vampires excused themselves to feed, while some of the humans volunteered their necks. This surprised some of them, because they would normally have to fight for this. However, some did feed, and it was a great feeling to know that they would not have to wipe their memories. They would be further delighted to find out that the humans had the vampires speaking to them while they were out, and giving them practical advice. When the vampires asked Kenta if this was normal, he not only said that this was the case, it was quite helpful, it helped to make Karin closer to him, and any fear that may have remained would now vanish. They had no idea just how much things could mesh, and were happy that things had turned out this way. After that, someone said, "Hey, fire up that karaoke machine! Let's party!"

This was followed by a cheer by the humans, and the vampires soon joined in. Chiyuki used her incredible speed to get party snacks and drinks and make it a grand affair. After she returned, she was floored by what happened next. The council then said, "Because there may be more like yourself, we need a voice on the council for them, and who would be better to represent them than you?"

She had great reluctance to this, not sure if she should trust this at all. However, she had seen that there could be change, and things could be better for her. She then said, "Give me some time to think about it. I wish to see how things go. If things stick, I shall consider it!"

"The offer is there," he said, "This group you call the Clan has taught us much. At the least, all I can say is thank you for dragging us into the real world, even though it was kicking and screaming!"

As the night progressed, the two couples—Kenta and Karin, Yuriya and Jean-Claude—contented themselves in watching the reverie. They were overwhelmed at what had been accomplished, and despite the wounded eye, Jean-Claude began to shed tears of joy. Yuriya said, "Honey, doesn't that hurt?"

He just smiled, and said, "Right now, I don't care!"

(Prepare for an epilogue)


	29. Chapter 29

Epilogue

Within a few days time, Jean-Claude was able to grow back his eye, and he went back to school, as did Chiyuki. Their respective hockey teams both went on to win all-Japan titles, and both of them winning all-Japan honors for their positions. Chiyuki indeed had the best goals against average for any girl in the nation, but the truth was that, she could have stopped anything that came by her. She just deliberately let a goal or two slip by without costing her team, and she did so to throw off any suspicions. In the meantime, whereas Chiyuki had few friends at the start of the school, she had many by the end of the year. Of course, none of them had any idea that it was because of Chiyuki feeding off the majority of them. Jean-Claude played baseball, played the catcher position, and hit the Triple Crown for the season, as his team won all-Japan honors again. Jean-Claude also graduated with honors. Many wondered if he would attend college, but everyone was surprised when he seemed to fade from view, (save for those in the Clan that knew the deal.) In reality, he shifted his living to the night as much as he could for the sake of Anjou. He wanted to be there for her. Karin understood this, but because of the events of the past year, she knew she could still have a relationship with everyone and maintain a daytime life. Besides all this, the next year would be her senior year, and she could then make a choice after graduation as to whether or not to shift to night living. Modern times made it easy for a person to work at night as much as working during the day. Since they would more than likely be wed by this time, such a shift was possible, depending on whether or not Kenta wanted to go to college. Even then, he had the option of taking night classes, so making a night shift for the sake of the family was not a problem should they go this route. Kenta and Fumio were living in their own house on the hill now, as was Jean-Claude and Yuriya. However, a shift to the night had more of a motivation for what happened that coming spring.

It was a Friday night, and spring break had just begun. Jean-Claude came home, looking forward to a great meal from his wife. However, when he came in, he saw his wife with a smile, and quite a glow on her face. "Hi hon," he said, "What you got cookin'? It smells good!"

"I have some steaks going, some spinach done the way you like, and a bun in the oven!" she said happily.

"You mean 'buns' don't you?" said Jean-Claude, confused.

She wheeled around, and she said, smiling, "I know I said that right, darling," and she opened up the front of her dress. What shocked him was that she was not wearing the helper bra that she normally wore, but a standard bra, and she had grown. In addition, there was a small bulge on her belly, and she said, "I'm three months gone—I found out today!"

"But…how…you…I…" he muttered, but she said, "Not but a couple of weeks after Karin bit you, I knew that, if I had her blood, we could give it a try. We have not used 'protection' since we have been married, because you knew that we were sterile. However, all that changed because of Karin. Karin bit you, and I took a chance when her time of the month came. She bit me; we did our thing, bingo!"

"So it did work!" he exclaimed, "There is hope for us!"

"As long as Karin lives, and her children turn out as we," she said, "and if other vampires go her route, there is hope for them as well."

He came up to her and gave her a passionate kiss, and then burst out of the house, screaming, "I'm going to be a dad! I'M GOING TO BE A DAD!"

Everyone came out as he told the news and explained the situation. No one ever heard of a half-breed being able to do this, but there it was. Karin came out, and Jean-Claude scooped her up, spinning her around, saying, "Thank you so much! You have given me more than I ever expected out of life!"

As he put her down, she said, "That's the least of what I could do for all that you did for us. Congratulations!"

The evening was spent in celebration and singing. A blessed event would come to them by autumn, and everyone wanted to be sure that this child was the most welcome thing in the world. Because of the mixed blood, there was no telling what the child would be, but whatever he ended up, it would be loved no end by a new world of understanding.

That August, the council decided to have its annual meeting at the Marker residence to celebrate the soon coming blessed event. By this point, the Clan had grown to about 75 members, half of the new membership being vampires who wanted a part of the new world that was forming. Some of the ones entering were because of relationships being formed between human and vampire. However, they knew that, because of what happened with Jean-Claude and Yuriya, there was a chance for their children to be fertile. Amongst them were about eight people who had been human, but were found worthy to make the crossover into the world of the vampire. One of them was Yukiko. She had graduated, found a relationship with a good-looking vampire, and found that she wanted to be with him with no hassles. She therefore now wanted to be a vampire, not because she was trying to find herself, but for the sake of her beau. Furthermore, because of Karin, she was converted from undead to a regular vampire, and had a chance for a great future. According to her, she does not regret the choice one bit! Chiyuki saw this, and began to feel the yearnings for children once again, knowing now that things could work. However, she still wanted to think about it, because, in her state, she was better to her kind, and she would sacrifice much by making the change. She let it go for now, but she knew that, as long as Karin lived, she could change her mind. In her own words, "After all, isn't changing her mind a girl's prerogative?"

Ren still had not settled down, but if his father had any say, that would change! He told his son that, eventually, he would have to wed. Of course, he was fighting it tooth and nail. Fumio, because of how she took care of things, was given the job of caretaker of the Marker property, and she dove into it with full relish. She became a beloved friend of the family. Maki's friendship with Karin was as strong as it could be, and she even considered crossing over. However, even though the Sinclairs had accepted the world as it was, they were not willing to cross over themselves, and she could not leave them behind, so she balked. However, she would remain a grand ally in the vampire world.

Now came time for the council, and as a part of the festivities, a concert was to be held on the first evening. A stage was build down the hill in back as to create an amphitheater effect, and D'Amphile and the Bats were headlining that night. They played their normal set, and Jean-Claude found it sweet that a young vampire in front was giving Anjou the eye, and she was not shying away from it. He went over and nudged her, saying, "So, got your eye on that one, eh?"

She smiled and blushed. He said, "Not bad, but take your time Corn Muffin, you have all the time in the world now!"

For the second set, they dropped the costume, and decided on a folk set. They came out and prepared to harmonize, as the first song was called _The River of Jordan_ as written and sung by Peter, Paul, and Mary. It stated off slow, but picked up the pace, as the song dealt with the singers seeking purpose in life, and how it was that there is only one river and sea, and that there was only one people. All were one. It seemed odd to carry of such a sentiment in that environment, but the meaning was there to convey that, because they were all sentient creatures, no matter what they were, they were one, or could be one, people if they wanted to be. All the hopes and dreams of all of them were the same, and they were all one family, no matter who or what they were. Jean-Claude sang with relish, as Victor and Elda, Calera and Henry, and Karin and Kenta snuggled up while they sung and played. Yuriya sat in her chair, ready to pop, and much larger than expected. It turned out that they were to be twins, and that made everyone joyous. However, just as the last song in the set was finished, she groaned. She had done so but fifteen minutes earlier, everyone stopped. Yuriya then said, "Baby, it's time!"

Everyone cheered as they rushed her back to their house. Because of the nature of things, they had decided to have the child at home, and there was a doctor vampire in the mix, which was convenient. They got her back to the house just as the water broke. Jean-Claude went in with the doctor, a couple of nurses, and everyone waited. As labor is wont to be, it was long. However, at about two in the morning, mixed with the screams and groans of travail, the cry of a child was heard across the house. This was followed ten minutes later by another cry, and the Marker family made their way upstairs as everyone waited outside the house for the news. Yuriya was understandably exhausted and Jean-Claude was beaming. They were fraternal twins, and they decided to name the boy Michael after his father and the girl Shelia after his mother. He brought the babies down for all to see, and everyone was applauding and cheering. Someone asked, "So, do you know what they are?"

Jean-Claude knew what that meant, and they were asking if they were dhampirs, humans, or full vampires. At that point, he really did not care what they were, and all he said was, "They are happy and healthy babies--a boy and a girl--who are loved very much by their family, and that's all I need to know!"

After some more applause, he went back in, and brought the babies back in, as to where it was now just the Markers and the new parents. He then handed them to Karin, because he felt that she also deserved to be amongst the first of the family to hold them, because she was greatly responsible for their existence. "You do realize that you are kind of a godmother to all the vampires that are now being born, right?"

"I know," she said, smiling, betraying a tear on her face, and she then said, "And that makes me so happy!"

She then looked down at them and said, "Auntie Karin loves you!" and they cooed contentedly. She nuzzled them, and said in the most tender and caring way she could, "Welcome to the family!"

The End


End file.
